Attorney General John Quigley has appointed three new judges to the District Court of Western Australia in a move which bolsters the judiciary.
Two of the positions have been created to help manage a caseload increased by legislated changes to court jurisdictions which has widened the scope of cases heard by the District Court.
The third appointment will fill a vacancy left by the resignation of Her Honour Judge Felicity Davis.
All three appointees have extensive experience as senior members of the judiciary and the legal profession.
Magistrate Flynn is a published academic who has lectured at universities both nationally and internationally. He has served as a magistrate in Western Australia for 14 years.
Mr Massey has more than 30 years’ experience as a lawyer in commercial and criminal law, with much of the past 16 years spent conducting criminal trials.
Ms Shepherd, a barrister, has specialised experience in fraud and financial regulation with a particular expertise in criminal property confiscation law.
As stated by Attorney General John Quigley:
“I am very pleased to announce the appointment of Magistrate Martin Flynn, Gary Massey and Karen Shepherd to the District Court.
“Magistrate Flynn was admitted to practice in Western Australia and attained a Master of Laws at the University of New South Wales in 1998.
“He lectured at the Northern Territory University, the University of Copenhagen and was Associate Dean, Senior Lecturer at the University of Western Australia until his appointment as a magistrate in 2006.
“He has written and co-written several publications in the areas of human rights, criminal law, racial discrimination, sentencing and procedural law.
“Mr Massey was admitted to practice in Western Australia in 1989 and for a time lived and worked in Kalgoorlie doing general litigation with an emphasis on criminal law.
“He has also practiced as a sole practitioner and as a partner of a law firm almost exclusively in criminal law. His trial experience will be well utilised in the District Court.
“Ms Shepherd was admitted to practice in Western Australia in 1994 and spent several years practicing in the United Kingdom, where she represented clients in large-scale fraud prosecutions.
“She also worked at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions for a number of years, conducting and supervising complex criminal property confiscation matters.
“She has a wealth of experience in criminal law, including homicide and drug importation matters and other serious offences relevant to the jurisdiction of the District Court.
“All three appointees are well qualified for appointment to the District Court and their academic, forensic and advocacy skills will be highly valued. I congratulate them on their appointment.”
