New Judicial Appointments to the Magistrates Court

The Law Society of Western Australia welcomes the announcement by the Attorney General the Hon John Quigley MLA that six new appointments have been made to the Magistrates Court of Western Australia.

The appointees, Genevieve Cleary, Benjamin Tyers, Joanne Andretich, Andrew Matthews, Gavin MacLean and Benjamin White, will fill regional positions commencing on 3 August 2020.

Law Society President Nicholas van Hattem said, “On behalf of the wider WA legal profession, I warmly congratulate the six new Magistrates. Each appointee possesses a wealth of legal experience, and every other essential quality required to discharge their duty as a member of the Court with distinction. I wish them all the best for a successful and rewarding judicial career.”

Of significance is that two of the appointees, Mr Gavin MacLean (a member of the Law Society) and Mr Andrew Matthews, are indigenous lawyers, and all appointees have worked variously at Legal Aid WA, the Aboriginal Legal Service, as a prosecutor or have operated their own practice as a barrister and solicitor. They have a demonstrated level of Aboriginal cultural competency, thereby supporting the Attorney General’s efforts to improve representation of indigenous people in the Magistrates Court.

The appointment of two more women, Ms Joanne Andretich and Ms Genevieve Cleary (who is also a member of the Law Society), is noteworthy as it improves the representation of women in judicial roles.

The Law Society is committed to promoting diversity, equality, respect and inclusion consistent with the principles of justice, integrity, equity and the pursuit of excellence upon which the profession is founded. The Law Society is a signatory to the Law Council of Australia’s Diversity and Equality Charter, which commits the legal profession to the promotion of equality, diversity, respect and inclusion regardless of gender, ethnicity, sexuality or any other arbitrary feature.

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For comment please contact:

Madeleine McErlain
Marketing and Communications Manager
(08) 9324 8650
mmcerlain@lawsocietywa.asn.au

The Law Society of Western Australia is the peak professional association for lawyers in the State. The Society is a not-for-profit association dedicated to the representation of its more than 4,000 members. The Society enhances the legal profession through its position as a respected leader and contributor on law reform, access to justice and the rule of law. The Society is widely acknowledged by the legal profession, government and the community as the voice of the legal profession in Western Australia.