Malcolm James McCusker AC CVO QC became the 31st Governor of Western Australia on July 1, 2011, and his term concluded on June 30, 2014.
Mr McCusker graduated with a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Western Australia, and was admitted to practice in 1961.
As a barrister, he has appeared in the WA Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, Federal Court, High Court, and Privy Council. He was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1982. Mr McCusker is well known for his successful representation in a number of high profile cases, often pro bono, of wrongfully convicted persons. In conjunction with his legal practice, for many years he was a part-time lecturer at the University of Western Australia in the Faculties of Law and Commerce.
Mr McCusker is chair of the McCusker Charitable Foundation which distributes substantial funds each year to worthy charitable bodies, principally (but not exclusively) supporting medical research. He was chair of the Law Access Board for 3 years before becoming a Patron in January 2022.
Mr McCusker has had a strong interest in agriculture and agricultural research for nearly 50 years.