Experience in family violence and prosecutions has been prioritised in the appointment for four new magistrates by the Attorney General Martin Pakula.
The new appointees to the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria are Tony Burns, Raj Malhotra, Thérèse McCarthy and Jacinta Dwyer.
Tony Burns has a background in police prosecutions after working as a Senior Sergeant of Prosecutions for Victoria Police and a Senior Detective in the Serious Crime Division. He was admitted to the Bar in 2001 and has practiced predominantly in the areas of crime, administrative law and statutory prosecutions.
Raj Malhotra will bring extensive prosecutorial experience to the role after working at the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions in Western Australia. He also worked as a Senior Prosecutor at the Environment Agency in the UK and was the Manager of Prosecutions and Investigations at the Department of Transport in Victoria.
Mr Malhotra has also been a member of the Adult Parole Board since 2013 and previously worked as General Counsel and as a Director of Regulatory Services for the Victorian Commission for Gambling and Liquor Regulation.
Following a stint at the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, Thérèse McCarthy was admitted to the Bar in 2007 where she has specialised in family violence, human rights, discrimination and civil and administrative law.
Ms McCarthy has appeared before the Supreme Court, County Court, Magistrates’ Court, Children’s Court and the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT). She has also appeared before the Federal and Family Courts, as well as in high profile coronial investigations including the inquest into the death of Luke Batty.
Jacinta Dwyer has been a lawyer at the Women’s Legal Service Victoria since 2014 and has specialised in family violence matters. In her role, she acts as a duty lawyer in the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court in the family violence intervention order jurisdiction, primarily providing advice to applicants.
Ms Dwyer also specialises in family law, child protection, and mediation, and has regularly appeared before the Family Court, Children’s Court, Magistrates’ Court and the Federal Circuit Court.
Quotes attributable to Attorney-General Martin Pakula
“Ms Dwyer, Mr Burns, Mr Malhotra and Ms McCarthy have extensive experience and skills in the legal field and they are welcome additions to the Magistrates’ Court.”
“I congratulate them on their appointments and look forward to seeing their contribution to the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria.”
Reviewed 19 August 2020