Member for Northern Tablelands Brendan Moylan has offered a warm welcome to Moree and Inverell’s new Magistrate, His Honour John Arms.

Magistrate Arms has been appointed to the Moree-Inverell Local Court circuit, which includes the communities of Mungindi and Boggabilla, for a period of 18 months and replaces Her Honour Catherine Samuels who will return to the Sydney metropolitan area.

It follows community backlash at the perceived lenient sentences handed to offenders over the past few years.

Magistrate Arms was sworn in to the NSW Local Court in February of 2023 and is expected to reside in the Inverell-Moree area during his tenure.

He will be joined by His Honour Acting Magistrate Malcolm MacPherson who has been appointed as a temporary “floating Magistrate” for six months.

Mr Moylan says he hopes the new magistrates will meet the community expectations.