Attorney General John Quigley is pleased to announce the appointment of Lynette Dias, Martin Crawford, Erin O’Donnell and Linda Keane as magistrates of the Magistrates Court of Western Australia.
The new magistrates are all highly regarded in the legal profession and will bring a wealth of experience to the Magistrates Court.
As stated by Attorney General John Quigley:
“Ms Lynette Dias was admitted to practice in Western Australia in 1997 and has appeared as counsel in a range of factually and legally complex litigation in a variety of jurisdictions, including the Magistrates Court.
“She has worked in a number of roles at the State Solicitor’s Office, Legal Aid WA, WA Police and with the Northern Territory Department of Justice.
“Mr Martin Crawford was admitted to practice in Western Australia in 2001.
“Since 2003, Mr Crawford has been an employed solicitor at Arns & Associates, specialising in Magistrates Court cases. He has been a senior associate at the firm for several years.
“Mr Crawford has substantial experience working in the Magistrates Court of Western Australia, appearing as counsel in numerous trials, as well as the District Court. He has appeared in matters concerning property disputes, contractual disputes and general commercial litigation.
“Ms Erin O’Donnell was admitted to practice in Western Australia in 2003 and has practiced in criminal law at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
“Between 2005 and 2018, Ms O’Donnell continued to work at higher levels at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
“Earlier this year, Ms O’Donnell commenced as Assistant State Counsel at the State Solicitor’s Office where she undertook a mix of counsel and advisory work in the litigation team.
“Ms Linda Keane was admitted to practice in Western Australia in 2003. Between 2002 and 2004, she was an articled clerk and then State Prosecutor at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions.
“Ms Keane was appointed as a Senior State Prosecutor in 2018. During her tenure at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, Ms Keane has conducted many trials in a wide variety of serious criminal matters.
“She has considerable experience in leading evidence from medical and other forensic experts, managing large case loads and appeals.
“Ms Dias, Mr Crawford, Ms O’Donnell and Ms Keane are highly regarded and will bring their diverse legal experiences to the Magistrates Court. I congratulate them on their appointments.”
