Catchwords:

CONSTITUTIONAL LAW – appeal – validity of provisions of the Children’s Court of Western Australia Act 1988 (WA) and the Magistrates Court Act 2004 (WA) regarding performance of functions of magistrates appointed to both the Magistrates Court and Children’s Court – whether primary judge erred in finding that the provisions do not undermine judicial independence of a dually appointed magistrate – each ground of appeal dismissed

STATUTORY INTERPRETATION – appeal – whether primary judge erred in construction of impugned provisions of the CCWA Act and MC Act – whether impugned provisions require or empower the respective head of jurisdiction to allocate work to a dually appointed magistrate in such a way that the basis upon which they work is not altered unless the magistrate consents – no error in primary judge’s findings that the conditions of service of the appellant were not impermissibly altered