Two new Magistrates appointed for North and North West

Elise Archer,Attorney-General

Minister for Justice

I am very pleased to announce the appointment of two new Magistrates, namely Katie Edwards and Evan Hughes, who will serve in the North and North West of Tasmania.

Ms Edwards has been appointed to the vacant position based in Burnie and will commence in the role on 27 June 2022, replacing former Magistrate, Justice Tamara Jago following her appointment to the Supreme Court of Tasmania last year.

Mr Hughes has been appointed to a brand new position that will work across Devonport and Launceston, commencing on 11 July 2022.

These appointments bring the number of permanent Magistrates to 17, which is a record number for Tasmania. Importantly, it will provide an equal number of Magistrates between the South and the North/North-West of the State, allowing the Court to deal with cases faster, while addressing any backlog of criminal matters.

Both Ms Edwards and Mr Hughes have extensive experience and knowledge across a broad spectrum of areas of law that will serve them well in their respective roles, with each having over 20 years’ experience in the legal profession within Tasmania.

Ms Edwards has been Crown Counsel with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) since 2020. Prior to that she was employed as a Legal Practitioner with the Legal Aid Commission of Tasmania (now known as Tasmania Legal Aid) between 2000 and 2018.

Mr Hughes began his career in the Office of the Crown Solicitor and has also worked as a criminal and family law litigator with the Legal Aid Commission of Tasmania from 1999 before then moving to Rae and Partners from 2012, serving as Principal of the firm since 2014, and was previously the President of the Law Society of Tasmania from 2018 to 2019.

The appointments follow a formal selection process in accordance with the Protocol for Judicial Appointments.

I personally congratulate Ms Edwards and Mr Hughes on their appointments, and look forward to their continued contribution to our justice system in the future.

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