Attorney General John Quigley has appointed senior barrister Mara Barone SC as a judge of the District Court of Western Australia.
Ms Barone has almost 20 years of advocacy experience in criminal law, representing clients in all WA courts and jurisdictions and in particular Dangerous Sex Offender matters in the Supreme Court.
She worked with Legal Aid and the Aboriginal Legal Service before establishing her own legal practice.
Ms Barone joined the independent bar in 2018 as a barrister at Francis Burt Chambers and was appointed as Senior Counsel later that year.
She has been a member of the Liquor Commission of WA since 2016 and was a co-founder of the Women in Crime Business Group, which supports women practicing criminal law in private firms in WA.
Her appointment fills a vacancy left by the elevation of Judge Julie Wagner to replace the retiring Kevin Sleight as Chief Judge of the District Court.
It brings the number of women on the bench of the District Court to 13 out of the 30 judges currently appointed. Of the 11 appointments made to the District Court during the term of this State Government, seven have been women.
Ms Barone will take up her new position today.
As stated by Attorney General John Quigley:
“Ms Barone’s experience in all facets of criminal law will be a valuable addition to the composition of the District Court.
“As well as an immense amount of criminal law experience, Ms Barone will bring a sense of fairness and integrity that can only be developed by a long and dedicated commitment to the administration of justice.
“Ms Barone has shown that she is prepared to, and is capable of, dealing with the most difficult and complex matters in our criminal law system; her skills will be of great benefit to the District Court and I congratulate her most warmly on her appointment.”
