2 new magistrates appointed in Cairns
Queensland Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath has made two permanent appointments to the Cairns Magistrates Court.

Mandy Bowen and Scott Luxton have been appointed to the Cairns Magistrates Court in Far North Queensland, bringing their collective and broad experience in regional areas and circuits.
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Magistrate Bowen was admitted as a solicitor in 2004 and worked as a criminal lawyer with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service Cairns office for 16 years, the A-G’s Department said in a statement, while Magistrate Luxton was admitted in 1999 and assumed acting magistrate duties in some smaller courts early in His Honour’s career and, prior to His Honour’s permanent appointment, had sat in 36 different centres across central, north and Far North Queensland, and suburban Brisbane.
Speaking about the appointments, A-G D’Ath said that the Queensland state government is “committed” to providing resources to the courts to allow them to function at optimum capacity.
“The new magistrate position in Cairns comes on top of the government funding a new magistrate in July, specifically dedicated to the local Domestic and Family Violence Court,” she said.
“At the same time, the government provided funds for the creation of three new permanent coroner positions. Magistrates Bowen and Luxton bring a wealth of experience to the roles and will be great assets to the Cairns Magistrates Court.”
Magistrates Bowen and Luxton formally began their roles on Monday, 30 October.