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2 senior in-house lawyers appointed to Magistrates Court of WA
West Australian Attorney-General John Quigley has appointed two new magistrates to the Magistrates Court of Western Australia.
Jerome Doraisamy
Samantha Martella and William Yoo are set to fill recently vacated positions and will also sit in the Children’s Court, Warden’s Court, and Industrial Magistrates Court when required.
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Martella joins the judiciary after more than five years as chief legal officer at the Department of Communities, the A-G’s Department said in a statement, where she “led a diverse legal practice in the multifaceted agency”, which reports to five ministers with portfolios including child protection, community services and housing.
She has also worked as acting director of policy and reform at the Department of the Premier and Cabinet in 2018, as well as serving 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.
Yoo previously served as a prosecutor for the state’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) for about eight years and senior solicitor at Western Australia Police for five years. Most recently, he worked at the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia (ALSWA), where he graduated from senior lawyer to in-house counsel (appeals) and was responsible for high-volume case management.
Martella commences in her role on 14 May, while Yoo starts today (6 May).
A-G Quigley said: “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.”
