- Jean Shaw and Meredith Blakeappointed board members of the Law Reform Commission
- The Assistant State Counsel and Associate Professor are highly experienced in their fields
- Retired Justice Lindy Jenkins reappointed as the Commission's Chairperson for two years
Attorney General John Quigley is pleased to announce the appointment of Jean Shaw and Meredith Blake as new board members of the Law Reform Commission of Western Australia.
Ms Shaw, a Senior Assistant State Counsel at the State Solicitor's Office (SSO), and Ms Blake, an Associate Professor at the University of WA's School of Law, replace two outgoing members.
A statutory body, the Law Reform Commission helps develop WA's legislation by examining matters of law referred to it by the Attorney General and making reform recommendations.
Admitted to practice in 2005, Ms Shaw has spent her entire legal career to date at the SSO, where she has risen through the ranks to her current position.
Following a lengthy period serving at SSO in Advice, Policy and Public Law, she moved to the Office's State Counsel Legal Services.
Ms Shaw has conducted and co-ordinated litigation as an instructing solicitor, a junior counsel and a senior or lead counsel.
She has also advised on complex legal issues including environmental, administrative, constitutional and criminal law, human rights and education and care services.
Associate Professor Blake has been involved with the education sector for much of her career after being admitted to practice in 1994.
Prior to starting in her current role in early 2009, she worked at Kings College London and the University of London for a decade and then Notre Dame University in Fremantle for four years.
Associate Professor Blake's areas of expertise include health, criminal, human rights, elder and torts law and medical ethics.
She was an ambassador of Advance Care Planning Australia from 2017 to 2023 and has also co-authored textbooks called Criminal Law in Queensland and Western Australia and Australian Health Law.
Associate Professor Blake becomes the body's part-time academic member and Ms Shaw becomes its part-time member from the SSO. Retired Justice Lindy Jenkins continues as Chairperson.
Terms for all appointments are two years.
As stated by Attorney General John Quigley:
"I congratulate Jean Shaw and Meredith Blake on their appointment as board members of the Law Reform Commission of Western Australia.
"The Commission performs an important function in assisting the Government to strive to keep WA laws up to date and relevant to provide the community with a fair and just legal system.
"Associate Professor Blake and Ms Shaw both possess extensive experience across a range of legal areas.
"Ms Shaw's counsel work has included appeals, trials, judicial review hearings, mediations, coronial inquests and pre-trial hearings in most Courts.
"Associate Professor Blake was part of the expert group who advised the Commission on possible amendments to WA law relating to sexual offences.
"Along with Chair and full-time member, The Hon. Lindy Jenkins, they form a well credentialled board membership team leading the Commission and reviewing State laws referred to it.
"I also thank the former member representing the SSO, Kirsten Chivers, and Professor Sarah Murray from the University of WA's Law School for their recently completed member service."
