President
The Hon Justice Mordecai Bromberg
Read more about the Hon Justice Bromberg
Commissioners
The Hon Justice Mark Moshinsky, Commissioner
Read more about the Hon Justice Moshinsky.
Mr Tony McAvoy SC, Commissioner, Review of the Future Acts Regime
Read more about Mr McAvoy SC.
Dr Maeghan Toews, Commissioner, Review of Human Tissue Laws
Read more about Dr Toews.
Nick Testro, Assistant Commissioner, Review of the Future Acts Regime
Nick Testro is Assistant Commissioner for the ALRC’s Review of the Future Acts Regime. Nick has worked extensively in native title, Aboriginal cultural heritage and indigenous land, with roles working predominantly in native title in native title representative bodies in Cape York (Queensland) and Victoria, commercial law firms, as well as the Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office.
Through his work in private law firms, Nick has acted for proponents and government for projects in mining, renewable energy, and infrastructure development. Nick has also acted for Traditional Owner groups in relation to native title matters, including as one of the lead negotiators for the Dja Dja Wurrung People and the Wotjobaluk, Jaadwa, Jadawadjali, Wergaia and Jupagulk Peoples for native title settlements under the Traditional Owner Settlement Act 2010 (Vic). Nick holds a Bachelor of Arts and Graduate Diploma of Environmental Science from Monash University, and a Juris Doctor and Master of Laws from the University of Melbourne. He was admitted as a solicitor and barrister of the Supreme Court of Victoria in 2005.
Associate Professor Ronli Sifris, Assistant Commissioner, Review of Surrogacy Laws
Ronli Sifris is Assistant Commissioner for the ALRC’s Review of Surrogacy Laws. She is an Associate Professor in the Monash Law Faculty and has been Deputy Director of the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law for several years. She has been an Editorial Board Member of the Australian Journal of Human Rights and is a current Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Law and Medicine. Her research is doctrinal, empirical and interdisciplinary. It is predominantly focused on issues at the intersection of reproductive health and the law, including abortion, surrogacy, assisted reproduction and involuntary sterilisation.
Ronli has published numerous articles and book chapters on various aspects of surrogacy. In 2015 she co-edited a Special Issue of the Journal of Law and Medicine focusing on surrogacy and she is currently co-authoring a book on surrogacy law, policy and practice. Ronli has a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) from Monash University, where she was jointly awarded the Supreme Court Prize (awarded to the outstanding student of the graduate class). She completed a LLM as a Hauser Scholar at NYU School of Law and a PhD at Monash University. She has been admitted to practice in both Melbourne and New York.
ALRC Leadership Team
Ruth Barson, Executive Director
Ruth Barson is the ALRC’s Executive Director. Prior to joining the ALRC, Ruth was an Executive Director in the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet. Prior to that she spent close to a decade as a Legal Director at the Human Rights Law Centre. She was also previously a Senior Legal Policy Advisor at the Centre for Innovative Justice; and a Legal Policy Advisor in the Northern Territory Attorney General’s Department. Ruth commenced her legal career as a lawyer with Victoria Legal Aid and subsequently the Aboriginal Legal Services in the Northern Territory (Alice Springs and Darwin). Ruth holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from Monash University; a Master of Laws from the University of Sydney; and a Master of International Human Rights Law from the University of Oxford. She was admitted as a solicitor and barrister of the Supreme Court of Victoria in 2007.
Mandeep Bahia, Director of Operations and Finance
Mandeep is the Director of Operations and Finance at the ALRC, and brings over 15 years of leadership experience across the legal, financial services, and consulting sectors in Australia and the UK. Prior to joining the ALRC, Mandeep led an Analytics & Operations team within the Digital Legal Delivery practice group at Herbert Smith Freehills. Earlier in his career, Mandeep worked as an institutional banker at ANZ and has also held senior roles at NAB, Westpac, PwC, and Lloyds Bank, leading large-scale transformation, regulatory compliance, and enterprise delivery programs. Mandeep holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting & Finance) from Monash University. He was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria in 2007.
Jez Hunghanfoo, Director of Communications and Engagement
Jez Hunghanfoo is the ALRC’s Director of Communications and Engagement. He was previously Director of Supporter Engagement at Amnesty International Australia and Chief Operating Officer at One Girl Australia, and has held senior communications, marketing and engagement roles in the nonprofit, media and other sectors, including at Oxfam Australia and the ABC. Jez holds a Master of Communications (Digital Media) from Deakin University, and is undertaking a Master of Leadership for Development at the Universities of Melbourne and Manchester.
Christopher Ash, Principal Legal Officer
Christopher Ash is a Principal Legal Officer for the ALRC’s Review of the Future Acts Regime, having joined the ALRC as a Senior Legal Officer in 2020. Before joining the ALRC, he worked as a lawyer at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC). He has also worked as a solicitor in Brisbane and London. He has a Bachelor of Laws (Hons I) and Bachelor of Arts from the University of Queensland, and a BCL (Dist) from the University of Oxford. He is admitted to practice as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland.
Dr Emma Larking, Principal Legal Officer
Emma Larking is a Principal Legal Officer for the ALRC’s Review of Human Tissue Laws. Before joining the ALRC, she spent five years as a researcher at the Victorian Law Reform Commission, working on a range of inquiries. She has an interdisciplinary background in law, literature, and applied philosophy. She was formerly a lecturer at the University of Melbourne, and research fellow at the Australian National University, where her research interests focused on social justice movements, international law, and human rights. She has a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) and Bachelor of Laws degree from Monash University, and a PhD in Applied Philosophy and Public Ethics from the University of Melbourne. She has been admitted to practise as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria.
Jacinth Pathmanathan, Principal Legal Officer
Jacinth Pathmanathan is a Principal Legal Officer for the ALRC’s Review of Surrogacy Laws. Before joining the ALRC, she was the project lead on a number of major inquiries and projects at RMIT’s Centre for Innovative Justice and the Victorian Law Reform Commission. She has also worked in federal and state government roles, including at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. She started her career as a Research Associate at the Supreme Court of Victoria. She holds a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and Bachelor of Commerce from the University of Melbourne and a Master of Laws from Columbia University, New York. She has been admitted to legal practice in Victoria.
