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WA appoints new Solicitor General
Joshua Thomson SC has been appointed as Western Australia’s next Solicitor General in an announcement from the state’s Attorney-General, John Quigley.
Grace Ormsby
The five-year appointment will see him filling the vacancy left by Peter Quinlan SC after his appointment to Chief Justice of Western Australia back in August.
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In congratulating the new Solicitor General, Mr Quigley said "Mr Thomson SC is a highly experienced legal practitioner within the profession. His experience, enthusiasm and intellect are a perfect fit for this important role.”
"The interests of the state government and our community will be well served with Mr Thomson as Solicitor General,” Mr Quigley confirmed.
Born in Sydney, Mr Thomson attended Christ Church Grammar School in Claremont.
He achieved a Bachelor of Laws with First Class Honours from UWA in 1994, where he was awarded the Hackett Scholarship.
Mr Thomson also achieved a Bachelor of Civil Law from the University of Oxford, Magdalen College in 1996.
Admitted to practice in Western Australia in 1995, Mr Thomson practised at the then Crown Solicitor's Office of WA until 2001, attaining the position of Assistant Crown Counsel.
Mr Thomson joined the Independent Bar in 2001, before being appointed to senior counsel in 2012.
Highlighting Mr Thomson’s experience, Mr Quigley said he “practices in a broad range of matters in all superior Courts.
“He has experience in, amongst other areas, constitutional law; administrative law; native title; taxation; state agreements; statutory construction; and regulatory and competition law,” he continued.
Mr Thomson has appeared as counsel in significant matters across a wide variety of practice areas. These have included matters of constitutional and administrative law contractual disputes, corporations and corporate insolvency, construction, building disputes, insurance law and torts.
He is knowledgeable in maritime law and regulatory and competition disputes, and has also appeared in statutory construction and civil procedure matters.
Mr Quigley noted Mr Thomson has also acted on a pro bono basis “for the benefit of the Western Australian community,” describing him as possessing “a significant community ethos.”
“I look forward to working with him in his new role," he concluded.
