- Kyle Martin appointed a Magistrate of Children’s Court of Western Australia
- Family lawyer has run child protection court program as acting Magistrate
Children’s law specialist Kyle Martin has been appointed a Magistrate of the Children’s Court of Western Australia.
Mr Martin’s appointment is also to the Magistrates Court of Western Australia, as an Industrial Magistrate and as a Warden of Mines.
Since May 2023 he has been acting as a Magistrate in the Children’s Court and presiding Magistrate in the Dandjoo Bidi-Ak child protection court program.
The therapeutic program aims to provide a culturally safe environment for Aboriginal families to participate in decision making about their children. The presiding Magistrate facilitates discussions, engages with stakeholders and makes decisions to progress matters.
Mr Martin was admitted to practice in Western Australia in 2009 and began his career in regional areas at Legal Aid WA as part of the Country Lawyers Program.
He next became a duty lawyer at the Children’s Court (Protection) Services and then joined Legal Aid’s Family Law Division.
In 2021 Mr Martin was appointed a Registrar of the Children’s Court and presided over Pre-Hearing Conferences under a mediation model of his own design.
During his career Mr Martin has volunteered for various organisations and working groups aimed at improving outcomes for families and children in the child protection sphere.
His appointment as a Magistrate takes effect 26 February.
As stated by Attorney General John Quigley:
“Kyle Martin has devoted much of his career to the protection and welfare of children, in particular Indigenous children.
“Following his extensive experience as a children’s and family lawyer, Mr Martin as a Children’s Court Registrar had a high success rate in managing matters in Pre-Hearing Conferences with all their complexity and risks.
“As an acting Magistrate he has exhibited excellence and commitment in presiding over the often intense and emotionally charged cases in the Dandjoo Bidi-Ak program.
“I congratulate Mr Martin on his appointment and look forward to him continuing his invaluable work.”
