- Matthew Curwood appointed as a Judge of the District Court of WA
- The Senior Counsel has three decades of experience as a Solicitor and a Barrister
Attorney General John Quigley has announced the appointment of Matthew Curwood as a Judge of the District Court of Western Australia.
The new Judge replaces an outgoing District Court Judge - who has been appointed a Master of the Supreme Court of WA.
Admitted to practice in 1993, Judge Curwood spent the first 20 years of his legal career as a Solicitor with two private firms - principally advising and acting for clients in civil litigation.
For the subsequent 10 years, he was a Barrister at Francis Burt Chambers, practicing mainly inthe areas of wills and estates, equity and trusts, commercial matters, and legal costs.
He was appointed a Senior Counsel three years ago, and is on the Chambers' board of directors.
Judge Curwood regularly appeared as Counsel in Supreme Court, and District Court trials, on interlocutory matters, as well as at mediations.
He also provided complex advice on constructive trusts, fiduciary breach, contested probates, and the merits of claims against deceased estates.
Prior to joining the Barristers' Chambers, he assisted clients in a wide range of litigious disputes, and in estate planning as the principal of his own firm.
Judge Curwood has been recognised as a recommended wills and estates litigation Senior Counsel. He starts in his new role on 13 December 2023.
As stated by Attorney General John Quigley:
"I welcome Matthew Curwood to the panel of Judges of the District Court of Western Australia.
"He has extensive experience as a legal practitioner and is highly respected in the profession.
"In addition to his distinguished career, he was the chairperson of the Legal Costs Committee, a statutory committee that determines levels of remuneration for legal practitioners in WA.
"Judge Curwood will help bolster the District Court bench as it continues to tackle a large workload."
