Schoombee appointed to District Court

Attorney General Jim McGinty has appointed former Women Lawyers of WA President Anette Schoombee as a judge of the District Court, to replace Judge Michael Muller, who will retire in late November.

The full text of an announcement from Mr McGinty's office is pasted below

A lawyer who was Counsel Assisting the Royal Commission into the Finance Broking Industry has been appointed as a judge of the District Court of Western Australia.

Attorney General Jim McGinty said Anette Schoombee had been appointed to the District Court.

"Ms Schoombee is highly regarded within the legal profession and she set up her own practice in 1999, specialising in commercial and insurance litigation," Mr McGinty said.

"Her practice encompasses trial and appellate work in the Federal, Supreme and District Courts.

"Ms Schoombee has served as a Commissioner of the District Court on two occasions in 2005 and 2006, and was appointed Counsel Assisting the Royal Commission into the Finance Broking Industry in 2001."

She also worked as a barrister in Cape Town for five years in the civil, criminal and family law areas, and was a lecturer in commercial law at the University of Stellenbosch for three years before coming to Australia in 1987.

Ms Schoombee was the President of Women Lawyers of WA between 2004 and 2006 and has also taken an active role on committees of the Law Society and the Bar Association.

She will replace Judge Michael Muller, who will be retiring from the District Court in late November.

Ms Schoombee will take up her new position on November 26.