- Melissa McEwen named as a magistrate to preside in the Magistrates Court of WA
- Experienced legal practitioner has a strong criminal law background
Attorney General John Quigley has appointed Melissa McEwen as a Magistrate of the Magistrates Court of Western Australia.
Admitted to practice in 2009, Ms McEwen has been a criminal defence lawyer for much of her legal career and appeared regularly in WA's courts, including regional and remote courts.
She worked as a lawyer at Legal Aid WA (LAWA) for eight years, which included secondments to the Aboriginal Legal Service of WA, in Kalgoorlie and Bunbury, for two-and-a-half years.
Since late 2022, Ms McEwen has served as a State prosecutor at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), where she was part of the trial resolutions team.
She acted as counsel for the State in committal mention hearings and bail applications in the Magistrates Court and in sentencing and administrative hearings and trials in the District Court.
Prior to joining the ODPP, Ms McEwen spent almost six years in private practice continuing to build her criminal law expertise and also became a member of LAWA's serious indictable panel.
She will commence in her new role on 5 August 2024.
As stated by Attorney General John Quigley:
"I congratulate Ms McEwen on becoming a new Magistrate to preside in the Magistrates Court.
"She has served with distinction over a number of years at Legal Aid WA, the Aboriginal Legal Service and in private practice in the area of criminal law.
"Across her career Ms McEwen has efficiently managed a large volume of matters, as she demonstrated during her time at the ODPP representing the State.
"She will bolster the judiciary as the court prepares for an increasing workload due to the new Criminal Law (Mental Impairment) Act 2023 (WA) starting operation in September."
