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New judge appointed to the WA Supreme Court
A barrister and former president of the WA Law Society has been appointed to the Supreme Court of Western Australia.
Lauren Croft
West Australian Attorney-General John Quigley has revealed the appointment of Alain Musikanth SC as a judge of the WA Supreme Court, effective today (6 November).
His appointment comes after Justice Andrew Beech vacates his position after more than 16 years on the Supreme Court bench.
Justice Musikanth was appointed a senior counsel in 2018 and, prior to becoming a judge, was head of Francis Burt Chambers, where he worked as a barrister and senior counsel for almost 17 years.
He has been an adjunct professor at the University of Western Australia’s law school since 2020 and was a former president of the Law Society of WA, which congratulated his honour on his new appointment.
“Justice Musikanth will now serve our community as a judicial officer at the forefront of the administration of justice, and the society wishes him all the best with his eminent new role,” the Law Society said in a statement.
Attorney-General Quigley said that “[Justice] Alain Musikanth is a highly experienced and very well-regarded legal practitioner”.
"As a barrister in Cape Town, South Africa, he appeared frequently in criminal trials, appeals and commercial cases over many years. In the subsequent period in Perth, he acted as a special counsel in the commercial litigation division of a national law firm before joining the WA Bar,” he said.
“From 2007 to this year, [Justice] Musikanth served in the capacity of independent barrister and senior counsel in commercial litigation, tax disputes and regulatory matters. I congratulate him on his appointment and take this opportunity to thank Justice Beech for his long service.”
Lauren Croft
Lauren is a journalist at Lawyers Weekly and graduated with a Bachelor of Journalism from Macleay College. Prior to joining Lawyers Weekly, she worked as a trade journalist for media and travel industry publications and Travel Weekly. Originally born in England, Lauren enjoys trying new bars and restaurants, attending music festivals and travelling. She is also a keen snowboarder and pre-pandemic, spent a season living in a French ski resort.
