Supreme Court Judge the Hon Jeremy Curthoys has been appointed as Chairperson of the Prisoners Review Board of Western Australia (PRB).
Justice Curthoys has also been appointed as Chairperson of the Mentally Impaired Accused Review Board (MIARB) and Chairperson of the Supervised Release Review Board (SRRB).
His Honour, who has been a Supreme Court Judge for almost nine years, will take up the chair posts on 7 January 2023 for a term of three years.
Justice Curthoys was admitted to practice in 1980 as a barrister and a solicitor of the Supreme Court.
He was appointed a District Court Judge in 2011 and joined the Supreme Court in 2014, concurrently serving as President of the State Administrative Tribunal for four years. He has conducted many criminal trials and is very experienced in sentencing matters.
Justice Curthoys will replace former Chief Judge of the District Court, the Hon Kevin Sleight, who was appointed in April 2022 to serve on the boards until the longer-term appointment was made.
The PRB has the authority to grant, defer or refuse parole for adult offenders and the SRRB performs a similar role for youth offenders.
The MIARB has various powers and obligations relating to people accused of crimes and found unfit to stand trial, or not guilty on account of unsoundness of mind due to intellectual impairment or mental illness.
As stated by Attorney General John Quigley:
"I congratulate Justice Curthoys, an experienced Supreme Court Judge, whose strong work ethic and dedication to the law will serve the review boards well.
"I'm pleased that we have been able to appoint a person with experience in the criminal law and sentencing.
"He has also contributed extensively to education in the legal profession across the past few decades, both for the Law Society of WA and other institutions.
"I also thank Judge Sleight for his continuing service in these roles since being appointed this year."
As stated by Corrective Services Minister Bill Johnston:
"The WA community has high expectations concerning decisions regarding the release of prisoners, young offenders and accused persons.
"These review boards have critical responsibilities in considering factors affecting the public, offenders and victims of crime.
"I trust that Justice Curthoys' leadership will continue that commitment to balancing the safety of the community with the management of risk associated with offenders and accused persons."
