Trailblazing Women of Law in W e s t e r n A u s t r a l ia
the running of their business before you get to the court stage. When I started my own small legal practice in Wangara, I set about helping small businesses.
Leading the Way
1987 Deborah Bennett-Borlase is appointed the first female Magistrate in Western Australia.
1993
Cheryl Edwardes AM is the first woman Attorney-General of Western Australia. Jane Thompson became the first woman to be appointed CEO of the Legal Practice Board of Western Australia (formerly the Barristers’ Board).
What do you regard as the proudest achievement of your career? Recently I have been involved with providing pro bono legal services to Grandparents Rearing Grandchildren with HHG Legal. Amazing group of people who instead of looking at retirement take on parental responsibility to a grandchild or grandchildren because their parents are unable to do so. I am now assisting HHG to coordinate their Giving Back program providing pro bono legal advice or support services to charitable organisations.
The Hon Cheryl Edwardes, AM First woman Attorney-General of Western Australia Admitted to legal practice in 1984, Cheryl Edwardes predominantly practiced in the areas of corporate law until she moved into politics in 1989. Ms Edwardes was elected to the Western Australian Legislative Assembly as the Liberal member for Kingsley. She was immediately promoted to the front bench as Shadow Minister for Education and remained a senior front-bencher for the rest of her career, including serving as the first woman Attorney-General of Western Australia from 1993 to 1995, Family and Services Minister from 1995 to 1997, and Environment Minister from 1997 to 2001. Following her retirement from politics in 2005, Ms Edwardes returned to private practice for a few more years before taking on a number of operational, advisory and Directorship roles in the WA mining industry. Ms Edwardes was awarded an Order of Australia in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2016 for “significant service to the people and Parliament of Western Australia; to the law and to the environment; and through executive roles with business, education and community organisations”.
Why did you choose to study law? Curiosity and I mean that in the most literal way. The law impacts people’s lives daily in so many ways and that triggered my commitment to helping people. My interest manifested in determining a need to help people and small businesses. Sitting in the back of a court one day, I saw a cross examination of a small business person who could have received a lot more assistance in
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One of the areas I have been involved in has been in supporting Victims of Crime. As Attorney-General I brought in the first Victims of Crime Act and then for Jim McGinty when he was Attorney-General I chaired the Victims of Crime Advisory Group. One of the members of this group was Ann O’Neill, a survivor of a horrific crime who turned her life into helping others by establishing AngelHands. I am an Ambassador for AngelHands.
What motivated you to achieve so much in your career? I never start from the premise of self-doubt. I see opportunities as challenges. I have been very fortunate in the opportunities that have presented themselves.
What are the challenges of being in a top leadership position that the public doesn’t necessarily see? Decision making after a whole lot of listening.
Are there any memorable roles that you have been involved in? Working with the Hon Cheryl Edwardes, AM Minister on 22 October 2018. I will never forget the stories that the survivors shared. As the Member for Kingsley, helping the boys get home from Bali after the bombing and the families of those boys who had died. Assisting with counselling, fundraising and the little things that became big issues that they couldn’t deal with. It was a time of a community coming together and supporting those who needed it.
Do you think much progress has been made in recent years with women having equal opportunities for top leadership positions as their male counterparts? It was interesting to note that in 2020 there are more women lawyers in WA than male lawyers. Yet the total number of female partners in top law firms only passed 30% in 2020. There has been a huge push to increase diversity on Boards. Yet, at 30 June 2021, the
