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The Chief Justice of Western Australia is the senior judge of the Supreme Court of Western Australia and the highest ranking judicial officer in the Australian state of Western Australia. The Chief Justice is both the judicial head of the Supreme Court as well as the administrative head. He or she is responsible for arranging the business of the court and establishing its rules and procedures.

The office of Chief Justice was created in 1861 when the Supreme Court was established through the amalgamation of the Court of Quarter Sessions and the Civil Court. The first Chief Justice was the West Indian born Sir Archibald Burt. Initially, in line with the British colonial policy of the time, the Chief Justices were appointed by the Colonial Office from outside the colony. It was not until 1901 that Western Australia had its first Western Australian born Chief Justice.

By convention the Chief Justice acts as the Governor's deputy and is often referred to as the Lieutenant-Governor.

The current Chief Justice is Wayne Martin, who was appointed on 1 May 2006 to replace David Malcolm. At the time of his appointment Martin was one of WA's most senior QC's.

[edit] List of Chief Justices of Western Australia

• Archibald Burt (1861 - 1879)
• Henry Wrenfordsley (1880 - 1883)
• Alexander Onslow (1883 - 1901)
• Sir Edward Stone (1901 - 1906)
• Stephen Parker (1906 - 1913)
• Robert McMillan (1913 - 1931)
• John Northmore (1931 - 1945)
• John Dwyer (1945 - 1959)
• Albert Wolff (1959 - 1969)
• Lawrence Jackson (1969 - 1977)
• Francis Burt (1977 - 1988)
• David Malcolm (1988 - 2006)
• Wayne Martin (2006 - )

[edit] See also

• Judiciary of Australia
• Supreme Court of Western Australia