New Judge appointed to bolster the Supreme Court

• Matthew Howard SC appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Western Australia
• Senior Counsel's appointment increases the number of judges serving on the bench
• Appointment to commence from 17 July 2023

Attorney General John Quigley is pleased to announce the appointment of Matthew Howard SC as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Western Australia.

Mr Howard has been in litigation practice for more than 30 years and has appeared in all superior courts.

Among his recent roles, Mr Howard has been an acting Parliamentary Inspector for the Corruption and Crime Commission of WA since his appointment in 2016.

Mr Howard has a commercial and public law practice and takes briefs in criminal law. He is also experienced in complex commercial cases.

After commencing as an articled clerk at the then Crown Solicitor's office in 1989, he was admitted to practice in WA in December 1989.

Since then, Mr Howard has regularly taken on significant and high-profile matters including in the High Court and in appeals to the Full Federal Court and other courts of appeal.

He was appointed Senior Counsel in 2009.

Mr Howard lectures in a variety of subjects including ethics and administrative law and is a Barrister at Francis Burt Chambers.

Additionally, he chaired the Legal Practice Board of WA and Law Access WA and is recognised for his commitment to providing access to justice through pro bono work.

The new Supreme Court appointment was made under the State Government's Justice Pipeline.

Comments attributed to Attorney General John Quigley:

"Mr Howard is highly regarded as a leading barrister in Western Australia and took on the role of Acting Parliamentary Inspector of the Corruption and Crime Commission in 2016.

"Mr Howard is well known for his contributions to the legal profession and his depth of experience well equips him to shoulder the demanding workload in the Supreme Court.

"I congratulate him on his elevation to the Supreme Court bench."