- Samantha Martella and William Yoo appointed as new WA Magistrates
- The experienced legal practitioners come to the role from the public sector
- The appointments follow a resignation and appointments of Magistrates as Judges
Attorney General John Quigley has announced the appointment of two new Magistrates to the Magistrates Court of Western Australia.
Samantha Martella and William Yoo fill recently vacated positions and will also sit in the Children's Court, Warden's Court and Industrial Magistrates Court when required.
Admitted to practice in 2003, Ms Martella joins the judiciary after more than five years as chief legal officer at the Department of Communities.
She led a diverse legal practice in the multifaceted agency, which reports to five Ministers with portfolios including Child Protection, Community Services and Housing.
Her career also included a role as acting director of policy and reform at the Department of the Premier and Cabinet in 2018.
Prior to this, Ms Martella served for more than nine years as a solicitor and solicitor in charge at Legal Aid WA in the Pilbara, where she acted in criminal and other matters in various courts.
In 2015, she received the WA Rural, Regional and Remote Woman Lawyer of the Year award.
Mr Yoo was previously a prosecutor for the State's Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for about eight years and senior solicitor at WA Police for five years.
Admitted to practice in 2007, he made the switch to his most recent position at the Aboriginal Legal Service of WA (ALSWA) in 2020.
At the ALSWA, Mr Yoo graduated from senior lawyer to in-house counsel (Appeals) and was responsible for high-volume case management.
He has appeared as counsel across multiple courts with 17 years' experience practising in criminal law including trials, duty lists, bail applications, sentencing hearings and appeals.
Mr Yoo starts in his new role on 6 May 2024 and Ms Martella on 14 May 2024.
As stated by Attorney General John Quigley:
"I am pleased to welcome Samantha Martella and William Yoo to the Magistrates Court.
"Combined, they have served with distinction for decades across extensive areas of the law, rising to leadership positions in their previous roles.
"One of the newly appointed Magistrates gained a wealth of experience at the ALSWA, ODPP and WA Police and the other at the Department of Communities and Legal Aid.
"I am confident their strong record of handling complex legal matters and expert trial work will help bolster the Magistrates Court as it continues to manage a substantial workload."
