Senior Counsel appointed Judge of the Supreme Court

• Fiona Seaward SC appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court of Western Australia
• Ms Seaward served as a barrister and solicitor in the State Solicitor's Office
• Appointment follows retirement of the Hon Justice Jeremy Allanson
  

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

After commencing as an articled clerk at the then Crown Solicitor's Office in 2000, Ms Seaward was admitted to practice in Western Australia in February 2001.

For the past 22 years, she has served as a barrister and solicitor in the State Solicitor's Office, becoming Senior Assistant State Counsel in 2014 and acting Deputy State Solicitor in 2021.

In that time Ms Seaward has made numerous appearances as counsel on behalf of the State of Western Australia, its agencies and instrumentalities, in a broad range of complex matters across all courts and tribunals.

That included appearing as counsel for the Department of Local Government, Sport and Cultural Industries at the Perth Casino Royal Commission in 2021 and as the sole solicitor assisting the 2016 Waroona Bushfire Special Inquiry.

She was appointed to Senior Counsel in 2022.

Ms Seaward has also served as a member of both the Voluntary Assisted Dying Ministerial Expert Panel in 2019 and the Assisted Reproductive Technology and Surrogacy Legislation Ministerial Expert Panel in 2022.

She was a Member of the Law Reform Commission of Western Australia from 2015 to 2019.

Ms Seaward's appointment fills the vacancy left by retiring Supreme Court Judge Jeremy Allanson and takes effect from 7 March 2023.

Comments attributed to Attorney General John Quigley:

"I congratulate Ms Seaward on her appointment as a Judge of the Supreme Court.

"Having served in a wide variety of roles, she is highly experienced and very well regarded in the legal profession.

"As well as representing the State in many cases, she has appeared as junior counsel to the Solicitor General on constitutional interventions heard in the High Court of Australia.

"I also thank the Hon Justice Jeremy Allanson for his more than 12 years of service on the Supreme Court bench and wish him well."

Minister's office - 6552 6800