- Natalie Whitby and Stephen Lemonis appointed as Judges of the Supreme Court
- The appointments fill current and future vacancies in the State’s highest court
Attorney General John Quigley is pleased to announce the appointment of Natalie Whitby and Stephen Lemonis as Judges of the Supreme Court of Western Australia.
Both District Court Judges, they will start their new positions in May and June, respectively.
Admitted to practice in 1996, Judge Whitby gained extensive experience in the Supreme Court system as a Registrar prior to her appointment to the District Court in mid-2021.
She presided over numerous dispute mediations, case-managed civil actions and conducted public examinations pursuant to the Corporations Act during her 11 years as Registrar.
Also during that period Judge Whitby served as the Supreme Court’s Acting Master and Principal Registrar and as a Magistrate which included handling serious criminal matters.
She also previously acted as an instructing solicitor to Senior Counsel in Supreme, District and Federal Court trials.
Judge Lemonis has vast experience as a principal solicitor in commercial litigation, corporate criminal, regulatory and insolvency matters.
Whilst in practice he regularly appeared in the Supreme Court, the Federal Court of Australia and the District Court.
Before being appointed to the District Court in 2019, he was a director of a law firm that specialises in commercial litigation and dispute resolution.
In private practice, Judge Lemonis also acted as a solicitor in corruption, fraud, insider trading, civil penalty and crime proceedings. He was admitted to practice in 1989.
As stated by Attorney General John Quigley:
“I congratulate Judges Whitby and Lemonis on their elevation to the Supreme Court bench.
“Judge Whitby has already served with distinction in the Supreme Court as a Registrar, Principal Registrar and Acting Master.
“Judge Lemonis is recognised for his principal solicitor’s work in white-collar and corporate crime cases and regulatory investigations.
“Both have been involved in multiple complex commercial and other court actions and built impressive records over their careers.
“Judges Whitby and Lemonis are highly experienced and respected in the legal profession, making them eminently suitable for their appointments as Supreme Court Judges.”
Attorney General’s office – 6552 6800
