Members of the Commission

Table 9 lists members of the ALRC during 2009–10, and their current term of appointment. On 30 June 2010, there were four members of the ALRC—one full-time member and three part-time members.

Table 9: Members 2009–10

Commissioner Term of Current Appointment
Full-time Commissioners
Professor Rosalind Croucher BA (Hons) LLB (Syd) PhD (UNSW) AMusA (AMEB), FRSA, FACLM (Hon), FAAL, TEP 14 December 2009 to 13 December 2014
Part-time Commissioners
Justice Susan Kenny BA (Hons) LLB (Hons) (Melb) DPhil (Oxon) 9 July 2009 to 8 July 2012
Justice Berna Collier BA, LLB (Qld), LLM (Melb) 2 October 2007 to 1 October 2010
Magistrate Anne Goldsbrough BA LLB (Melb) 14 December 2009 to 31 August 2010

Professor Rosalind Croucher, President

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Professor Croucher was appointed to a five year term as President of the ALRC from 14 December 2009 to 13 December 2014. She was a fulltime Commissioner for a term of three years, commencing on 5 February 2007 to 4 February 2010. Professor Croucher was Dean of Law at Macquarie University from 1999. Prior to this she was a member of the Law Faculty of the University of Sydney and the University of New South Wales. Professor Croucher served as Chair of the Council of Australian Law Deans (2002), Vice President (Western Pacific), International Academy of Estate and Trust Law (1998–2005), Chair of the Scientific Committee for the World Congress of Medical Law 2004 and on the Program Committee for the 8th biennial conference of the International Association of Women Judges, 2006. Professor Croucher has lectured and published extensively principally in the fields of equity, trusts, property, inheritance and legal history.

The Hon Justice Susan Kenny, Part-time Commissioner

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Justice Kenny was initially appointed a part-time Commissioner of the ALRC on 14 May 2003. She was reappointed as a part-time Commissioner from 9 July 2009 to 8 July 2012. She is a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia, based in Melbourne. During 2009–10, Justice Kenny served on the Divisions dealing with both the Secrecy and Royal Commission Inquiries.

 

 

The Hon Justice Berna Collier, Part-time Commissioner

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Justice Collier was appointed a part-time Commissioner for a term of three years, commencing on 2 October 2007. She has been a judge of the Federal Court of Australia, based in Brisbane, since February 2006.

During 2009–10, Justice Collier served on the Divisions dealing with both the Secrecy and Royal Commission Inquiries.

 

 

Magistrate Anne Goldsbrough, Part-time Commissioner

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Magistrate Goldsbrough was appointed a part-time Commissioner on 14 December 2009 to 31 August 2010.

From February 2002, Magistrate Goldsbrough was the Victorian State Supervising Magistrate for Family Violence and Family Law for 6 years until December 2007. Prior to this appointment, she was a Registrar at the Family Court in Melbourne and had an extensive family law practice. Magistrate 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.

 

Farewell to Professor Les McCrimmon

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When Professor Les McCrimmon’s term as Commissioner ended on 30 November 2009, he had made a significant contribution to the ALRC. Professor McCrimmon had been with the ALRC for 4 years and 11 months and was the lead Commissioner for three ALRC inquiries—the ALRC’s Privacy Inquiry, culminating in the landmark report, For Your Information: Australian Privacy Law and Practice (Report 108, 2008), a three-volume, 2700 page report containing nearly 300 recommendations for reform; the Inquiry into Evidence (Uniform Evidence Law, Report 102, 2005); and, most recently, Making Inquiries: A New Statutory Framework (Report 111, 2009), into the Royal Commissions Act 1902 (Cth).

Professor McCrimmon will be remembered for his record in leading inquiries which have resulted in prompt and substantial government implementation; his extraordinary project management and leadership skills; and his excellence in teaching. In 2009, he advised the Government of Botswana on the establishment of an independent law reform agency.

On a personal level, Professor McCrimmon will be remembered for infusing his passion for art into the workplace, his friendliness, thoughtfulness, warmth and collegiality.

Professor McCrimmon leaves the ALRC to take up the position of Chair of Law, Faculty of Law, Business and Arts at Charles Darwin University—a position which recognises his expertise in evidence, advocacy and privacy. The ALRC wishes him the very best in his new position.

Farewell to Emeritus Professor David Weisbrot AM

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When President Professor David Weisbrot retired from the ALRC on 30 November 2009 he had made an unprecedented and indelible contribution to the ALRC, and to law reform nationally and internationally.

Professor Weisbrot was the longest serving President in the ALRC’s 35-year history and presided over 14 inquiries, demonstrating exceptional intellectual and strategic leadership. Professor Weisbrot’s first inquiry was into the federal civil justice system, which culminated in the landmark report, Managing Justice: A Review of the Federal Civil Justice System (Report 89, 2000). Other significant inquiries followed including the ground breaking report, Essentially Yours: The Protection of Human Genetic Information in Australia (Report 96, 2003); Fighting Words: A Review of Sedition Laws in Australia (Report 104, 2006); and the ALRC’s largest comprehensive inquiry into privacy laws, For Your Information: Australian Privacy Law and Practice (Report 108, 2008). Other inquiries during the Weisbrot presidency covered areas of marine insurance; a review of the Judiciary Act; civil and administrative penalties; protection of classified and security sensitive information; gene patenting; uniform evidence law; sentencing; client legal privilege; Commonwealth secrecy laws and Royal Commissions.

Professor Weisbrot played an instrumental role in establishing the Australian Academy of Law—a key aspect of the positive action recommended in Managing Justice, uniting members of the judiciary, legal practitioners and legal academics in promoting high standards of learning and conduct across the profession.

Professor Weisbrot is highly regarded in the national and international law reform and policy making arenas and during his presidency, the ALRC took an active a leadership role in assisting law reform in developing countries. In 2009 he was invited by the Government of Botswana to assist in the establishment of a law reform commission following his assistance to law reform bodies located in Papua New Guinea, Samoa and the Solomon Islands.

In 2003, Professor Weisbrot was awarded a Centenary Medal by the Australian Government for ‘services to law reform’, and in 2006 was made a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for ‘service to the law in the areas of law reform, education and access to legal services, and through contributions to research, analysis and policy development on a range of matters of public interest’.

Professor Weisbrot has taken up the position of Professor of Law and Governance at Macquarie University’s Centre of Research Excellence as well as a position as Professorial Fellow at the United States Studies Centre.

Professor Weisbrot is held in the highest esteem by ALRC staff and colleagues. He will be remembered for his brilliance; exceptional skills as a writer, policy-developer and teacher; and for his commitment to social justice. But, significantly, on a personal level, he will also be remembered for being an outstanding mentor, fostering a happy, collegiate and inclusive workplace, and for his warmth, humour, and compassion.

The ALRC wishes him the very best in his new endeavours and will miss him greatly.

Remuneration

The Commonwealth Remuneration Tribunal determines the remuneration for all ALRC members.

Full Commission meetings

A meeting of all full-time and part-time ALRC members—known as the Full Commission—is convened twice a year. These meetings provide an opportunity to discuss the progress of current inquiries, the ALRC’s financial performance and other matters of interest to Commissioners. Full Commission meetings were held in Sydney on 19 August 2009 and 25 March 2010.

Divisions

Section 40 of the ALRC Act states that the President may constitute Divisions of the ALRC, which identify the members of the ALRC who are formally responsible for each inquiry. There were no new Divisions constituted in this reporting period. 

Board of Management

The Board of Management—a requirement under the ALRC Act—is constituted by the President and other full-time Commissioners of the ALRC. The Board of Management is the ALRC’s governance body, with responsibility for general oversight of ALRC operations, including budget and policies. Table 10 shows the attendance of Commissioners at Board of Management and Full Commission meetings in 2009–10.

Table 10: Commissioner Attendance at BOM and Full Commission Meetings 2009–10

  19 Aug 2009
Full Commission
21 Oct 2009
BOM
25 Mar 2010
BOM / Full Commission
18 Jun 2010
BOM
Prof Weisbrot  yes  yes    
Prof Croucher  yes  yes  yes  yes
Prof McCrimmon  yes  yes    
Justice Collier  yes    yes  
Justice Kenny  yes    yes  
Magistrate
Goldsbrough
     yes  

The Executive Director attends all Board of Management meetings and staff representatives attend Board of Management meetings at the open invitation of the Board. The Audit Committee is the only sub-committee of the Board of Management.