District Court Judge Troy Sweeney SC has been appointed as a judge of the Supreme Court of Western Australia and the Court of Appeal.
Judge Sweeney leaves the District Court of Western Australia as the second-longest serving judge on the current panel of District Court judges, behind only Chief Judge Julie Wager.
Her Honour was admitted to practice in 1987 and spent 17 years as a counsel at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) and former Crown Solicitor’s Office.
In 2005, when working as a senior state prosecutor, she was appointed a senior counsel. She became a judge of the District Court in 2006. Between April 2024 and her appointment to the Supreme Court, Her Honour was the senior District Court judge, supporting and standing in for the Chief Judge.
Speaking about the appointment, West Australian Attorney-General Dr Tony Buti said: “I congratulate Judge Troy Sweeney on her appointment as a Justice of the WA Supreme Court. Her Honour’s experience in criminal law spans more than 35 years, during which she has served with distinction across a multitude of complex matters both as a counsel and a judge.”
“She began her counsel days at the Crown Solicitor’s Office and was fast-tracked to criminal jury trials, before joining the ODPP at its inception in 1992 under the Hon. John McKechnie AO KC. Judge Sweeney’s career at the ODPP saw her rise in the ranks to the positions of senior state prosecutor and consultant state prosecutor,” the A-G said.
“As a District Court judge for the past 19 years, Her Honour mainly presided over criminal jury trials and sentencing, making her eminently suitable to manage cases in the Supreme Court and Court of Appeal. I wish her well.
“I also take this opportunity to thank Justice Paul Tottle for his distinguished service as a Supreme Court judge over the past 10 years.”
Judge Sweeney will start in her new role on 15 September 2025, to coincide with the retirement of Justice Tottle.
Jerome Doraisamy is the managing editor of Lawyers Weekly and HR Leader. He is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in New South Wales, and a board director of the Minds Count Foundation.
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