11.01.2010
The Attorney-General, the Hon Robert McClelland MP, has announced the appointment of Magistrate Anne Goldsbrough as a part-time Commissioner of the ALRC to assist the ALRC in its current Inquiry into Family Violence. Magistrate Goldsbrough was the Victorian State Supervising Magistrate for Family Violence and Family Law for 6 years from February 2002 until December 2007 and during that period sat daily in the Specialist Family Violence list.
ALRC President Professor Rosalind Croucher stated, ‘We are delighted to welcome Ms Goldsbrough to the ALRC to work with us on the Family Violence reference. Her knowledge and experience in the area of Family Violence and Family Law will be greatly valued and she will have much to contribute to our thinking and deliberations.’
Ms Goldsbrough has been a leader in the area of Family Violence and Family Law since her appointment as a magistrate in 1996. Prior to this appointment, she was a registrar at the Family Court in Melbourne and had an extensive family law practice. During her terms as Supervising Magistrate, Ms Goldsbrough was instrumental in the development and implementation of a range of specialist Family Violence initiatives and practice improvements in the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria. This included the Family Violence Court Division of the Magistrates’ Court project in Heidelberg and Ballarat, and the Specialist Family Violence services project at three additional magistrates’ courts in Victoria.
Ms Goldsbrough is presently a member of the Australian Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission Steering committee on the intersection between law, religion and human rights (2008-2009). She has been chair of a number of key committees in areas significant to Family Violence, provided regular judicial and legal education about family violence laws and was a member of the Victorian Law Reform Commission’s Advisory Committee in relation to its landmark report, Review of Family Violence Laws (2006).
Magistrate Goldsbrough stated, “I am delighted to accept the appointment to the ALRC on such a significant reference. The intersection and application of federal and state laws around families in crisis and family members subject to abuse and violence can be complex. Understanding these intersections and striving for consistent application of law and procedure is critical for the safety of all members of our community. I look forward to contributing to this process.”
Ms Goldsbrough’s appointment is until 31 August 2010, a period covering the ALRC’s Family Violence reference, which is due to report to the Attorney-General on 31 July 2010.