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2 new magistrates named in WA
Western Australia is set to get a new magistrate for its Children’s Court, as well as for its Family Court.
Jerome Doraisamy
Noongar woman and former Aboriginal Legal Service of WA (ALSWA) lawyer Kim Farmer has been appointed as a magistrate of the Children’s Court of Western Australia.
Admitted to practice in 2004, she joins the judiciary after two separate periods working as a private legal practitioner, most recently since 2021.
She has represented Aboriginal juveniles and adults in criminal defence law matters before multiple West Australian courts, as she did during her seven-year career at the ALSWA. As a private lawyer, the A-G’s Department detailed in a statement, she also practised in family law, care and protection proceedings, violence restraining orders and criminal injuries compensation.
Between 2014 and 2016, Farmer was a senior lawyer at a national legal service set up to support and provide free legal advice to survivors of child sexual abuse.
She will take up her magistrate position on 22 July.
Speaking about the appointment, West Australian Attorney-General John Quigley said: “I am pleased to welcome Ms Farmer as a new magistrate presiding in the Children’s Court. Her appointment follows many years of distinguished service in the criminal law and family law spaces, managing large caseloads in her various legal roles, including leadership positions.
“Ms Farmer has appeared in all WA criminal jurisdictions, including regular appearances in the Children’s Court, and worked extensively with people from disadvantaged backgrounds. Her appointment will help the court manage an increased workload expected to stem from the introduction of the Criminal Law (Mental Impairment) Act 2023 (WA) from 1 September 2024.”
Elsewhere, Family Court registrar and former solicitor Joanne Brinkley has been appointed as a magistrate of the Family Court of Western Australia (FCWA).
She has served, the A-G’s Department went on, as an FCWA registrar for the past two years, following an 11-year career as a solicitor with Legal Aid WA.
At Legal Aid, she managed a caseload of predominantly independent children’s lawyer and child representative matters in the FCWA and Children’s Court of Western Australia. She is also an accredited mediator.
Brinkley will start in her new role on 5 August 2024.
A-G Quigley said: “I congratulate Joanne Brinkley on her appointment as a magistrate of the Family Court of Western Australia.
“Ms Brinkley brings extensive expertise in the family law arena, having been involved in complex legal issues, including child-related matters. Ms Brinkley will help bolster the ranks of magistrates as the court manages an increased caseload.”
Jerome Doraisamy
Jerome Doraisamy is the editor of Lawyers Weekly. A former lawyer, he has worked at Momentum Media as a journalist on Lawyers Weekly since February 2018, and has served as editor since March 2022. He is also the host of all five shows under The Lawyers Weekly Podcast Network, and has overseen the brand's audio medium growth from 4,000 downloads per month to over 60,000 downloads per month, making The Lawyers Weekly Show the most popular industry-specific podcast in Australia. Jerome is also the author of The Wellness Doctrines book series, an admitted solicitor in NSW, and a board director of Minds Count.
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