25.01.2015
Professor Rosalind Croucher, BA(Hons) LLB PhD AMusA ACLM (Hon) FRSA FAAL TEP, President of the Australian Law Reform Commission, has been conferred the award of Member of the Order of Australia for “significant service to the law as an academic, to legal reform and education, to professional development, and to the arts”. The Order of Australia is the pre-eminent means by which Australia recognises the outstanding and meritorious service of its citizens and the ALRC congratulates Professor Croucher on this significant honour.
Professor Croucher has been the President of the ALRC since December 2009 and was first appointed to the Commission as a full-time Commissioner in February 2007. Professor Croucher has been Commissioner-in- charge of eight law reform inquiries of significant consequence to the Australian community and legal system, covering a wide spectrum of complex fields including Client Legal Privilege, Secrecy Laws, Family Violence (x 2), Discovery, Age Barriers, Disability Laws and is currently in charge of the Freedoms Inquiry. She has overseen further inquiries into Classification, Copyright, Privacy, and Native Title. Recommendations made in these reports go not only to legislative amendments but to social and economic policy reform of high relevance to Australian society. Professor Croucher’s ongoing high level contribution to law reform in Australia is evidenced by this significant body of work and the maintenance of the ALRC’s exemplary reputation as an internationally renowned benchmark of best practice law reform.
Professor Croucher has had a distinguished career in legal education prior to joining the ALRC, with 25 years in university teaching and management, including as Dean of Law at Macquarie University (1999–2006). Prior to this she was a member of the Law Faculties of the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales.
Professor Croucher has lectured and published extensively, principally in the fields of equity, trusts, property, inheritance and legal history. She has written or edited nine books, including Succession: families, property and death; Families and Estates: A Comparative Study; and Law and Religion – God, the State and the Common Law. She has also authored over 100 publications including book chapters, encyclopaedia entries, journal articles, casenotes and conference papers.
Professor Croucher was honoured in being made a Foundation Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law in 2007. Her contributions have also been acknowledged in a number of honorary appointments: Honorary Fellow of St Andrew’s College of the University of Sydney (2002); Honorary Fellow of the Australian College of Legal Medicine (2004); and honorary life membership of the Women Lawyers’ Association of NSW (2013). Professor Croucher has also undertaken many pro bono leadership roles – including as Governor of Ascham School for nine years; Councillor of St Andrew’s College; as a board member of the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs; Chair of the Council of Australian Law Deans, 2002–2003; and Vice-President of the International Academy of Estate and Trust law 2000–2005.
In 2011 she was recognised as one of the 40 ‘inspirational alumni’ of UNSW, where she gained her PhD in 1994. In 2014 she was acknowledged for her contributions to public policy as one of Australia’s ‘100 Women of Influence’ in the Australian Financial Review And Westpac awards; and for her ‘outstanding contribution to the legal profession’ role in supporting and advancing women in the legal profession she was awarded the Australian Women Lawyer’s award. In response to the latter award, Professor Croucher said, “One of the greatest privileges in my career has been the opportunity—and delight—of being able to encourage and mentor so many women, and men, around me. A deep and abiding joy is to see those I have sought to nurture flourish around me, building careers and becoming role models and mentors in turn.”Professor Rosalind Croucher, BA(Hons) LLB PhD AMusA ACLM (Hon) FRSA FAAL, President of the Australian Law Reform Commission, has been conferred the award of Member of the Order of Australia for “significant service to the law as an academic, to legal reform and education, to professional development, and to the arts”. The Order of Australia is the pre-eminent means by which Australia recognises the outstanding and meritorious service of its citizens and the ALRC congratulates Professor Croucher on this significant honour.
Professor Croucher has been the President of the ALRC since December 2009 and was first appointed to the Commission as a full-time Commissioner in February 2007. Professor Croucher has been Commissioner-in- charge of eight law reform inquiries of significant consequence to the Australian community and legal system, covering a wide spectrum of complex fields including Client Legal Privilege, Secrecy Laws, Family Violence (x 2), Discovery, Age Barriers, Disability Laws and is currently in charge of the Freedoms Inquiry. She has overseen further inquiries into Classification, Copyright, Privacy, and Native Title. Recommendations made in these reports go not only to legislative amendments but to social and economic policy reform of high relevance to Australian society. Professor Croucher’s ongoing high level contribution to law reform in Australia is evidenced by this significant body of work and the maintenance of the ALRC’s exemplary reputation as an internationally renowned benchmark of best practice law reform.
Professor Croucher has had a distinguished career in legal education prior to joining the ALRC, with 25 years in university teaching and management, including as Dean of Law at Macquarie University (1999–2006). Prior to this she was a member of the Law Faculties of the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales. She maintains her Professorial status at Macquarie University and continues to build and promote relationships between academia, government agencies and the wider community.
Professor Croucher has lectured and published extensively, principally in the fields of equity, trusts, property, inheritance and legal history. She has written or edited nine books, including Succession: families, property and death; Families and Estates: A Comparative Study; and Law and Religion – God, the State and the Common Law. She has also authored over 100 publications including book chapters, encyclopaedia entries, journal articles, casenotes and conference papers.
Professor Croucher was honoured in being made a Foundation Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law in 2007. Her contributions have also been acknowledged in a number of honorary appointments: Honorary Fellow of St Andrew’s College of the University of Sydney (2002); Honorary Fellow of the Australian College of Legal Medicine (2004); and honorary life membership of the Women Lawyers’ Association of NSW (2013). Professor Croucher has also undertaken many pro bono leadership roles – including as Governor of Ascham School for nine years; Councillor of St Andrew’s College; as a board member of the Sydney Philharmonia Choirs; Chair of the Council of Australian Law Deans, 2002–2003; and Vice-President of the International Academy of Estate and Trust law 2000–2005.
In 2011 she was recognised as one of the 40 ‘inspirational alumni’ of UNSW, where she gained her PhD in 1994. In 2014 she was acknowledged for her contributions to public policy as one of Australia’s ‘100 Women of Influence’ in the Australian Financial Review And Westpac awards; and for her ‘outstanding contribution to the legal profession’ role in supporting and advancing women in the legal profession she was awarded the Australian Women Lawyer’s award. In response to the latter award, Professor Croucher said, “One of the greatest privileges in my career has been the opportunity—and delight—of being able to encourage and mentor so many women, and men, around me. A deep and abiding joy is to see those I have sought to nurture flourish around me, building careers and becoming role models and mentors in turn.”