Each appointee brings decades of legal expertise and unique skills to Victoria's busiest court
The Victorian government has announced the appointment of James Henderson, Carolyn Howe, Adriano Serratore, and Allison Vaughan to the Magistrates' Court.
"Each of these appointees brings decades of legal expertise and their unique set of skills to Victoria's busiest court," Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes said.
Henderson has served as a senior lawyer at WorkSafe Victoria for five years, where he has appeared for the prosecution in a range of occupational health and safety and compensation matters. He also gained extensive prosecutorial experience at the Victorian Office of Public Prosecutions, the NSW Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.
Howe has served as the principal solicitor at Howe Legal for over a decade. She has concurrently served as a police lawyer, representing Victoria Police in criminal and family violence-related matters for the past five years.
Her practice encompasses crime, child protection and family law, including supporting Aboriginal people and family violence victim-survivors in various roles at community legal centres and family violence legal services.
Serratore previously served as deputy general counsel and director of Courts and Prosecution Services at Victoria Police. He spent over four years in various leadership roles at the Office of Public Prosecutions, where he managed, prepared and appeared in complex criminal proceedings.
From 2013 to 2017, he held several legal roles at the then Department of Economic Development, Jobs, Transport and Resources, providing strategic leadership and contributing to regulatory practice initiatives. He also practised as a criminal defence solicitor.
Vaughan served for more than two years as a judicial registrar at the Magistrates' Court, where she has presided over civil and criminal hearings, including those for personal safety intervention orders and residential tenancies.
Before her appointment to the court, Vaughan practised as a barrister at the Victorian Bar for over a decade, appearing for clients across jurisdictions and providing advice and consultation.
