Magistrate Therese McCarthy appointed to Victoria’s Coroners Court

NSW Coroners Court adds solicitors David Yang and Sarah Crellin as non-magistrate coroners

Magistrate Therese McCarthy appointed to Victoria’s Coroners Court

Magistrate Therese McCarthy has been appointed as a coroner of the Coroners Court of Victoria, while solicitors David Yang and Sarah Crellin have been appointed as non-magistrate coroners of the Coroners Court of New South Wales. 

“David Yang and Sarah Crellin are both exceptional lawyers whose appointments will support the court’s continued focus on integrity, care, and truth-finding,” said Michael Daley, NSW attorney general, in a media release. 

McCarthy, whose appointment takes effect on 28 July 2025, replaces coroner John Olle, who is set to retire, according to a news release from the Judicial College of Victoria, which congratulated McCarthy on her appointment. 

Yang and Crellin, whose terms are scheduled to expire in January 2027, will also assume their roles in July, according to a media release from the NSW Department of Communities and Justice. 

“Both appointees bring deep legal experience and a commitment to public service that will greatly benefit the Coroners Court,” Daley said. 

In its media release, the department acknowledged that most coroners are magistrates. However, it noted that the Coroners Act 2009 permitted the appointments of non-magistrate coroners with the appropriate legal experience. 

“The work of coroners is essential to our community – not only in determining causes of death, but in identifying ways we can prevent similar tragedies in the future,” Daley said. 

Therese McCarthy

The Judicial College of Victoria detailed McCarthy’s background across both domestic and international legal landscapes. 

McCarthy most recently worked as the supervising magistrate of family violence and personal safety intervention orders, a position she took in 2022. She accepted appointments to the board of the Victoria Law Foundation as the Victorian Courts’ Council’s representative in 2021 and to the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria in 2017. 

Her experience encompasses roles with the United Nations at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia in The Hague and the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Syria. 

McCarthy has worked for AUSAID (Australian Agency for International Development) and the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions in Papua New Guinea and ActionAid International in Pakistan. 

She has been a prosecutor for the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions and a legal associate for justices Sally Brown and Victoria Bennett in the Family Court of Australia

McCarthy joined the Victorian bar in 2010. 

David Yang

The NSW Department of Communities and Justice’s media release provided information on the recent appointments. 

Yang most recently worked as acting principal solicitor at the Crown Solicitor’s Office. In this role, he handled complex civil litigation and advisory matters for NSW government agencies. 

He has a background in public law and coronial inquests and experience in criminal, administrative, and coronial law. He worked as a tipstaff to Justice Ian Harrison of the Supreme Court of New South Wales. 

Yang obtained his LLB and bachelor’s degree in criminology and criminal justice from the University of New South Wales (UNSW Sydney). He also holds a graduate diploma of legal practice. 

Sarah Crellin

Crellin’s most recent role is as a solicitor advocate in the Inquiries and Criminal Law Division at the Crown Solicitor’s Office, according to the department’s media release

She has been a principal solicitor – criminal practice with the Aboriginal Legal Service (NSW/ACT), as well as deputy principal solicitor and acting principal legal officer. She is a specialist in criminal law, accredited by the Law Society of New South Wales. 

Crellin has nearly two decades of experience in criminal law, justice, and advocacy, as well as a background working with First Nations communities. 

She earned a bachelor of laws and arts from the University of Wollongong. She likewise holds a graduate diploma of legal practice.