Judge Reynolds was a Magistrate from 1984-1997, a Commissioner of the District Court of WA from 1997-2004, and a Judge of the District Court of WA from 2004-2018, including being the Senior Judge from 2016-2018.
He was one of the longest serving judicial officers in Australia and the longest serving President of the Children’s Court of Western Australia – a position he held from 2004 until his retirement in 2018. As Head of Jurisdiction, Judge Reynolds provided strong support to the Drug Court in the Perth Children’s Court, with the aim of rehabilitating children and young people from the effects of drug use and supporting them to develop stronger relationships with their families and the community. Through his dedication to addressing the high rate of incarceration among Aboriginal young people, Judge Reynolds garnered enormous respect among Aboriginal leaders addressing dysfunction within sections of the Aboriginal community.
Strengthening the capacity of communities and involving Aboriginal leaders and community members in developing local solutions for local issues has been a key theme in his advocacy on youth justice issues.
Judge Reynolds was recognized as the WA Citizen of the year – Community Category in 2012.
