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2 barristers appointed as judges of the District Court of Western Australia
Two new judges have been appointed to the District Court of Western Australia, bringing strong legal expertise in both litigation and criminal law.
Lauren Croft
Darren Renton SC and barrister Hayley Cormann have both been appointed as new judges of the District Court of Western Australia, filling the vacant positions created by a resignation and the appointment of a District Court judge to the Supreme Court.
Renton was admitted to practice in 1994 and is a federal and state criminal law specialist with more than 25 years of trial and appellate experience. Prior to joining the Bar in 2010, he served as an in-house counsel and as a principal legal officer for the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP) for 10 years before being appointed as a senior counsel in October 2021.
Cormann was first admitted to practice in 2007 and then worked as a senior associate at one of Australia’s largest law firms, where she worked for 13 years, primarily as a lawyer in commercial, professional negligence and healthcare law litigation, as well as in disciplinary proceedings brought by regulatory bodies. She joined the Bar in 2019 and, in the intervening period, practised across a range of general commercial and insurance disputes and personal injury and professional negligence claims.
The pair will commence their new roles on 20 January 2025.
Commenting on the new appointments, West Australian Attorney-General John Quigley said he was pleased both barristers would become judges.
“Both are highly respected in the legal profession and have worked on complex matters across multiple jurisdictions with distinction over their careers,” he said.
“Mr Renton is recognised as an expert in criminal law, and Ms Cormann for general commercial litigation and the defence of professional negligence claims against medical practitioners. Ms Cormann is also a former president and vice president of the Law Society of WA, and since 2023, Mr Renton has been chair of the Australian Bar Association’s criminal law committee.
“Their intimate knowledge of the court system will help enhance the District Court’s capacity to manage a substantial caseload in a timely fashion. I wish them well.”
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.
