Mr Lerve, 54, spent three months acting as a judge from September until December last year.

He returned to fill his regular role as Albury magistrate in late December and continued until yesterday.

A spokesman from the Attorney-General’s Department confirmed yesterday afternoon that Mr Lerve had been appointed an acting judge from February 20 until June 30.

It is understood he will be presiding at Dubbo where he spent some time last year.

The spokesman said the Albury circuit magistrate’s position has been advertised internally.

But in the meantime, former Albury magistrate and co-ordinating magistrate for the Riverina, Tony Murray, will preside in Albury.

Mr Lerve was born at Urana, educated at Cootamundra and has always had an affinity with the Riverina.

He was the crown prosecutor at Wagga for many years.

Mr Lerve studied for a bachelor of legal studies at Macquarie University after starting work in the Court of Petty Sessions in February 1975.

He became a legal clerk with the Director of Public Prosecutions office at Wollongong in 1980.

He next worked as a legal officer at the Dubbo DPP office before a year with the National Crime Commission in 1985-86.

Mr Lerve started practice at the private bar in July 1986, appearing mainly in criminal and family law matters.

He was appointed a Crown prosecutor in 1990 and from 1991-2003 was attached to the Wagga DPP office.

He became a magistrate in 2005 working at Parramatta and Blacktown before moving to Moree.

“I was absolutely delighted to be appointed to Albury and have thoroughly enjoyed my time here,” he said.

He yesterday expressed his gratitude to the court staff at Albury for their assistance during his time here.

Since 2006, Mr Lerve has been on the chief magistrate’s education committee and written research papers for judical education.

He is a regular contributor of written judgments to the NSW Local Court web site.