Attorney General John Quigley is pleased to announce the appointment of Michael Jenkin to the Coroner's Court of Western Australia.
The appointment of Mr Jenkin takes the total number of Coroners in this important jurisdiction to five.
The Coroner's Court has seen a 65 per cent increase in workload since 2003-04.
The appointment of a fifth Coroner, along with additional funding and the provision of a state-of-the-art CT scanner, will help to reduce the backlog of coronial cases and allow grieving families to receive answers more quickly.
As stated by Attorney General John Quigley:
"The appointment of a fifth Coroner forms an important part of the McGowan Labor Government's efforts to speed up the processes within the Coroner's Court for the benefit of grieving families.
"With a legal career spanning more than two decades, Mr Jenkin brings extensive experience to this role.
"Mr Jenkin obtained a Bachelor of Laws in 1994 and a Bachelor of Social Work in 1985. He was admitted to practice in December 1995.
"In 1993, Mr Jenkin commenced work as a solicitor at the State Solicitor's Office where he held a variety of positions including that of Assistant State Solicitor.
"While at the State Solicitor's Office, Mr Jenkin performed a broad range of work as a solicitor, including the co-ordination of coronial matters and preparing matters for inquests.
"He was seconded to Worksafe for a period of 22 months as in-house counsel conducting prosecutions and providing advice, and also managed a busy asbestosis diseases litigation practice for four years.
"Mr Jenkin appeared as counsel in appeal matters, hearings and pre-trial conferences in a wide range of jurisdictions, including the Coroner's Court.
"In January, Mr Jenkin was appointed as a Coroner for six months and I am pleased that he will now continue in the role for a further five-year term.
"To respond to pressures facing the Coroner's Court, the McGowan Government purchased a $1.1 million, state-of-the-art CT scanner, the first to be installed in the State Mortuary, allowing cases to be resolved more quickly.
"In 2017, the McGowan Government provided $1.2 million over the next four years for staffing, maintenance and other costs at the Coroner's Court.
"Further, as part of the 2019-20 Budget the McGowan Government has provided an additional $5.5 million to address demand pressures in the Coroner's Court related to forensic pathology and toxicology services over forward estimates."
