Wayne Stewart Martin (born 28 December 1952) is a lawyer and former judge who served as

Chief Justice of Western Australia The Chief Justice of Western Australia is the most 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 Su ...

from 2006 until his retirement in 2018. Martin is also the Lieutenant-Governor of Western Australia, having been sworn in on 9 October 2009.

Early life and education

Martin was born on 28 December 1952 and attended North Perth Primary School and

Christ Church Grammar School , motto_translation = God is our leader, learning is our light , established = , founder = William Joseph McClemans , type = Independent single-sex early learning, primary, and secondary day and boarding school , gender = Boys , denomin ...

. He graduated from the

University of Western Australia The University of Western Australia (UWA) is a public research university in the Australian state of Western Australia. The university's main campus is in Perth, the state capital, with a secondary campus in Albany and various other facilitie ...

in 1973, with a

Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Ch ...

and First Class Honours. Martin completed his articled clerkship with Lavan & Walsh, and subsequently completed a

Master of Laws A Master of Laws (M.L. or LL.M.; Latin: ' or ') is an advanced postgraduate academic degree, pursued by those either holding an undergraduate academic law degree, a professional law degree, or an undergraduate degree in a related subject. In mo ...

degree at

King's College London King's College London (informally King's or KCL) is a public research university located in London, England. King's was established by royal charter in 1829 under the patronage of King George IV and the Duke of Wellington. In 1836, King's ...

. He was admitted to practice in

Western Australia Western Australia (commonly abbreviated as WA) is a state of Australia occupying the western percent of the land area of Australia excluding external territories. It is bounded by the Indian Ocean to the north and west, the Southern Ocean to t ...

in 1977, and was a partner of the law firm Keall Brinsden (now

Corrs Chambers Westgarth Founded in 1841, Corrs Chambers Westgarth (often referred to as ''Corrs'') is a leading, independent Australian commercial law firm. Its clients include national and international corporations, governments, banks and financial sponsors. The firm ...

) until joining the independent bar in 1988. He was made a QC in 1993.

Legal career

In addition to his work as a barrister, Martin is a former chairman of the Western Australian Law Reform Commission, president of the Administrative Review Council,AIJA Tribunals Conference
"Recent publications of the Administrative Review Council, Including Preparing Statements of Reasons - June 2003"
/ref> and president of the Western Australia Bar Association. In addition, he is a former president of the

Law Society of Western Australia Law is a set of rules that are created and are law enforcement, enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. ...

and a director of the

Law Council of Australia The Law Council of Australia, founded in 1933, is an association of law societies and bar associations from the states and territories of Australia, and the peak body representing the legal profession in Australia. The Law Council represent ...

Judicial career

As Chief Justice, Martin spoke out about the need to enhance access to justice and improve the efficiency of the legal system. He also came to the defence of the legal system in the wake of criticisms in some sections of the media that resulted from several high-profile miscarriages of justice. Martin instigated several changes to modernise the courts in Western Australia, including abolishing the traditional wigs and jabots, publishing sentencing comments online, and allowing the use of electronic devices and social media when covering court cases. In his role as Lieutenant-Governor, he has served as Administrator of the State on two occasions when the position of

Governor of Western Australia The governor of Western Australia is the representative in Western Australia of the monarch of Australia, currently King Charles III. As with the other governors of the Australian states, the governor of Western Australia performs constitutiona ...

is vacant: from 2 May to 1 July 2011, following the expiration of

Ken Michael Ken or KEN may refer to: Entertainment * ''Ken'' (album), a 2017 album by Canadian indie rock band Destroyer. * ''Ken'' (film), 1964 Japanese film. * ''Ken'' (magazine), a large-format political magazine. * Ken Masters, a main character in ...

's term, and from 1 July 2014 to October 2014, following the expiration of

Malcolm McCusker Malcolm James McCusker (born 6 August 1938) is an Australian barrister and philanthropist who was the 31st Governor of Western Australia, serving from July 2011 to June 2014. Born in Perth, McCusker was educated at Hobart High School (in Hob ...

's term. Martin retired in July 2018.

Honours

On 11 June 2012, Chief Justice Martin was named an Companion of the

Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Go ...

for "eminent service to the judiciary and to the law, particularly as Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Western Australia, to legal reform and education, and to the community".

References

External links

Transcript of farewell ceremony at the Supreme Court
on Martin's retirement. {{DEFAULTSORT:Martin, Wayne 1952 births Living people Companions of the Order of Australia Alumni of King's College London Australian King's Counsel Chief Justices of Western Australia People educated at Christ Church Grammar School People from Perth, Western Australia University of Western Australia alumni Judges of the Supreme Court of Western Australia 21st-century Australian judges Fellows of King's College London