- Seamus Rafferty appointed as a Judge of the District Court of WA
- The Senior Counsel has a strong background in criminal law matters
Attorney General John Quigley is pleased to announce the appointment of Seamus Rafferty SC as a judge of the District Court of Western Australia.
Admitted to practice in 2002, Mr Rafferty has over two decades’ experience as a trial advocate and as appeal counsel in the criminal law jurisdiction.
Between February 2023 and joining the District Court, Mr Rafferty was an independent barrister at Geoffrey Miller Chambers, appearing as counsel in numerous criminal proceedings.
Prior to that he headed a private legal firm for more than 13 years, during which he appeared as defence counsel in numerous criminal trials and sentencing matters in multiple WA courts.
During his career, Mr Rafferty has also regularly appeared on behalf of the State.
Mr Rafferty previously served as a State Prosecutor at WA’s Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions from 2002 to 2009, prosecuting serious offences in the Supreme and District courts.
He was appointed as a Senior Counsel in November 2023. Mr Rafferty commences in his new role as a judge on 4 November 2024.
As stated by Attorney General John Quigley:
“I congratulate Seamus Rafferty SC on his appointment as a Judge presiding in the District Court of WA.
“Mr Rafferty is highly regarded in the legal profession and eminently qualified to continue his distinguished career in the judiciary.
“He has acquired deep knowledge and extensive expertise in criminal law across more than 20 years, having worked as counsel on a multitude of complex criminal cases.
“Mr Rafferty was also a former Chairperson of the Liquor Commission of WA and former member of the Commonwealth Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
“His addition to the District Court bench will help it continue to effectively manage the workload.”
