Admitted to practice in Australia in 2002 and South Africa in 1994, Justice Musikanth has spent much of his career as a commercial and tax lawyer practising at the independent bar. He has extensive experience as a trial and appellate counsel and has also sat as an arbitrator and mediator in commercial matters.

His appointment comes after Justice Andrew Beech vacates his position after more than 16 years on the Supreme Court bench.

Justice Musikanth was appointed a senior counsel in 2018 and, prior to becoming a judge, was head of Francis Burt Chambers, where he worked as a barrister and senior counsel for almost 17 years.

He has been an adjunct professor at the University of Western Australia’s law school since 2020 and was a former president of the Law Society of WA, which congratulated his honour on his new appointment.

“Justice Musikanth will now serve our community as a judicial officer at the forefront of the administration of justice, and the society wishes him all the best with his eminent new role,” the Law Society said in a statement.

Attorney-General Quigley said that “[Justice] Alain Musikanth is a highly experienced and very well-regarded legal practitioner”.

"As a barrister in Cape Town, South Africa, he appeared frequently in criminal trials, appeals and commercial cases over many years. In the subsequent period in Perth, he acted as a special counsel in the commercial litigation division of a national law firm before joining the WA Bar,” he said.

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“From 2007 to this year, [Justice] Musikanth served in the capacity of independent barrister and senior counsel in commercial litigation, tax disputes and regulatory matters. I congratulate him on his appointment and take this opportunity to thank Justice Beech for his long service.”