MRT - RRT Annual Report 2007-08

Australian Government - Migration Review Tribunal - Refugee Review TribunalMigration Review Tribunal - Refugee Review Tribunal Annual Report 2007-2008Migration Review Tribunal - Refugee Review Tribunal Annual Report 2007-2008
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Appendix 3-Members of the Tribunals

The Tribunals' Members make decisions on applications for review. The Members are appointed under the Migration Act 1958 (the Act) by the Governor-General for fixed terms on a full-time or part-time basis. The Remuneration Tribunal determines the remuneration arrangements for Members.

Persons appointed as Members to the Tribunals have typically worked in a profession or have had extensive experience at senior levels in the private or public sectors. While there are no mandatory qualifications for the appointment of Members, the following biographies indicate the depth of knowledge and experience that Members bring to the task of providing a final and independent merits review of decisions.

As at 30 June 2008 the membership of the Tribunals comprised the Principal Member, the Deputy Principal Member of the RRT, 4 Senior Members, 7 full-time Members and 79 part-time Members. All Members are appointed to both the MRT and the RRT.

On 3 September 2007, Mr Denis O'Brien was appointed as the Principal Member of the Tribunals, and Mrs Mary Urquhart was appointed as the Deputy Principal Member of the RRT. Mrs Urquhart was subsequently appointed to act as an MRT Senior Member. Amendments to the Migration Act to create a position of Deputy Principal Member of the MRT are expected to commence in 2008-09.

Denis O'Brien

Principal Member

BA, LLB, LLM

Appointed: 3 September 2007 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2012

Denis O'Brien was a partner in Minter Ellison from 1993 to 2007 practising mainly in the area of administrative law, particularly judicial and tribunal review. Before joining Minter Ellison in 1989, he had been the Director of Research of the Administrative Review Council and had previously worked in the General Counsel Division of the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department and in the Office of Parliamentary Counsel. Denis is a former President of the Australian Institute of Administrative Law and a former chair of the Administrative Law Committee of the Law Council of Australia.

Mary Urquhart

Deputy Principal Member (RRT) and Acting Senior Member (MRT)

BEd (Art), Dip Law, BAB

Appointed: 1 July 2006 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Mary Urquhart has qualifications in Education, Law, Dispute Resolution and the Arts. She has practised as a Barrister-at-Law in both NSW and Victoria. She is a former Deputy President of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, where she headed the Civil Claims jurisdiction and later the Anti-Discrimination jurisdiction in the Human Rights Division of the Tribunal. She is also a former Deputy Commissioner of the Victorian Liquor Licensing Commission.

Rea Hearn Mackinnon

Senior Member, Melbourne

BA, BSocAd, LLB (Hons)

Appointed: 1 November 2005 (MRT), 1 January 2006 (RRT)

Current term expires: 31 December 2008

Rea Hearn Mackinnon was a lawyer and senior associate with Blake Dawson from 2000 to 2005 practising in administrative law, particularly tribunal and judicial review. She has held a number of public sector positions and statutory appointments including Member of the Intellectual Disability Review Panel in Victoria, Director of Investigations with the Commonwealth Ombudsman with a particular focus on migration and refugee matters, Pre-Hearing Conference Convenor at the Melbourne Children's Court and Deputy Community Advocate for the ACT. She has also taught administrative law at Latrobe University.

Bruce MacCarthy

Senior Member, Sydney

BSc, BEc

Appointed: 30 August 1999 (RRT), 1 January 2006 (MRT)

Current term expires: 31 December 2008

Bruce MacCarthy has been a Member of the RRT since 1999 and a Senior Member since January 2003. He was appointed as a Senior Member of the MRT in January 2006. He has held a number of senior positions in the public sector, including Principal Investigation Officer in the Sydney office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman and Director (Benefits) in the NSW office of the Department of Veterans' Affairs.

Irene O'Connell

Acting Senior Member, Sydney

BSW, LLB, MA, SJD

Appointed: 28 August 2000 (RRT), 1 January 2006 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Dr Irene O'Connell was first appointed to the RRT as a full-time Member in August 2000. She was cross-appointed to the MRT in January 2006.
Dr O'Connell acted for periods in the position of MRT and RRT Senior Member during 2007 and 2008. Her current acting Senior Member appointment expires in December 2008. Prior to joining the Tribunals, Dr O'Connell held policy research positions and various academic positions at the University of New South Wales, the University of Waikato (New Zealand) and the University of Western Sydney and the Law Extension Committee, University of Sydney. These positions included lecturing as well the co-ordination of clinical programmes. Dr O'Connell has published journal articles on legal philosophy and is an Examiner for the NSW Legal
Practitioners Board.

Giles Short

Senior Member, Sydney

BA, LLB

Appointed: 28 July 1997 (RRT), 1 January 2006 (MRT)

Current term expires: 31 December 2008

Giles Short has been a Member of the RRT since July 1997 and has been a Senior Member since January 2003. He was the Director of Research with the Immigration Review Tribunal from 1990 to 1995 and from 1996 to 1997 he was Legal Counsel (South East Region) with the Civil Aviation Safety Authority.

John Atkins

Part-time Member, Melbourne

LLB, BComm

Appointed: 1 July 2007 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

John Atkins worked as an articled clerk at Maddock Lonie and Chisholm in 1971 and was admitted to practice as a barrister and solicitor in 1972. He became a partner in that firm in 1974. He became a member of the Victorian Bar in 1977. In 1989 he was appointed to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in Victoria as a part-time Member dealing with Planning Appeals. He has had broad experience at the Bar specialising in Planning, Local Government and Administrative Law. He has also served as a part-time member of the Nurses Board of Victoria.

Diane Barnetson

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA, B Leg Studies, M Industrial Relations

Appointed: 1 July 2006 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Diane Barnetson is currently a Member of the NSW Mental Health Review Tribunal, the NSW Consumer Trader and Tenancy Tribunal and the Social Security Appeals Tribunal. She has held previous appointments to the Consumer Claims Tribunal, the Fair Trading Tribunal and the Residential Tribunal. She has worked as a mediator with the Building Disputes Tribunal and as a conciliator with the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission. She has also worked as an Industrial Advocate for a trade union and as a case worker with the NSW Department of Community Services and the NSW Department of Health.

Samuel Blay

Part-time Member, Sydney

LLB (Hons), LLM, PhD

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (RRT), 14 November 2005 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Dr Samuel Blay is a former Dean of Law at the University of Tasmania and currently Professor of Law at the University of Technology, Sydney. Apart from refugee law and practice, his main areas of professional interest are International Law, Human Rights, the Law of Torts and International Trade Law. He has published extensively and received major awards in his fields of specialisation. His awards include a United Nations Fellowship in 1988 in Geneva and an Alexander von Humboldt award in 1992 and 2003 for research work in Heidelberg, Germany. He has taught as a Visiting Professor at the University of Missouri in Kansas City and a Guest Professor at the China University of Political Science and Law in Beijing. He has extensive experience as a UNDP International Law Consultant in Somalia, Vietnam, Sudan and the Lao People's Republic. He has also served as a Consultant Advisor to the governments of Nauru and Vanuatu.

Wendy Boddison

Part-time Member, Melbourne

LLB, LLM

Appointed: 28 July 1997 (RRT), 12 July 1999 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Wendy Boddison worked as an Appeals Counsellor with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees from 1992 to 1994. She worked for the office of the Special Prosecutor from 1983 to 1985 and in public prosecutions from 1985 to 1987. From 1987 to 1990 she worked at Messrs Galbally & Rolfe Solicitors. She joined the Victorian Bar in 1990 and transferred to the non-practising list in 2000. She was a Member of the Immigration Review Tribunal from January to May 1999. She has been a lecturer in International Law at Deakin University. In September 2004 she was appointed a Legal Member of the Mental Health Review Board and in December 2007 she was appointed a part-time member of the Social Security Appeals Tribunal.

Danica Buljan

Part-time Member, Melbourne

BA, LLB (Hons)

Appointed: 1 October 2001 (MRT), 1 July 2004 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Danica Buljan has also been appointed by the Victorian Health Services Commissioner to the Investigation Review Panels list to review decisions of the health practitioner registration boards in Victoria. She has been a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of the ACT, the Supreme Court of NSW, and the High Court of Australia since 1989 as well as the Victorian Supreme Court since 1996. Her public sector experience includes being the National Manager of Bankruptcy Regulation for the Insolvency Trustee Service Australia for a number of years. She has held positions as the Legal Services Director for the Social Security Appeals Tribunal, Deputy Registrar of the RRT in Melbourne and as the Assistant Director of Research at the RRT. Prior to that she worked in the Legal Branch of DIAC and as an Associate to Deputy President R K Todd of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.

Nicole Burns

Part-time Member, Melbourne

BA (Hons), Master of Legal Studies (International Law)

Appointed: 1 July 2007 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

For most of her career, Nicole Burns has worked in international development, primarily focusing on Asia. She has worked with a mix of multilateral, bilateral and international non-governmental agencies, including AusAID and the UNDP in Indonesia, and most recently with CARE International in Sri Lanka. Over the past decade, she has developed an expertise in conflict resolution and peacebuilding.

Mary Cameron

Part-time Member, Melbourne

BA, LLB (Hons)

Appointed: 1 July 2006 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Mary Cameron is admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria. She has most recently practised as a corporate lawyer with a major government business enterprise, primarily in commercial and administrative law. She has a background in equal opportunity and anti-discrimination law and practice, and has held a number of senior roles in both the Commonwealth and State public sectors managing equal opportunity and workforce diversity programs. She has also worked for Victoria Legal Aid.

Catherine Carney

Part-time Member, Sydney

LLB

Appointed: 1 July 2006 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Catherine Carney is currently a part-time Member of the NSW Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal and the Mental Health Review Tribunal. She was most recently a Registrar in the Family Court Sydney Registry. From 1998 until March 2005 she was the Principal Solicitor at Women's Legal Services, a community legal centre that services disadvantaged women and children. While at the legal centre she developed and implemented legal services to immigrant and refugee women and children in diverse ethnic communities in Western Sydney and rural NSW. She was also the NSW representative on the National Association of Community Legal Centres and Alternate Legal Aid Commissioner (NSW) Board Member of the Legal Aid Commission.

Jennifer Ciantar

Part-time Member, Sydney

BSW, Dip Admin, LLB (Hons)

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (MRT), 14 November 2005 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Jennifer Ciantar previously worked as a social worker and senior policy officer. She has been a part-time Member of the Social Security Appeals Tribunal and the NSW Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal. She is the Deputy Chairperson for the NSW Housing Appeals Committee.

John Cipolla

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA, LLB

Appointed: 1 December 2000 (MRT), 1 July 2004 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

John Cipolla is a part-time Member of the Guardianship Tribunal of NSW and the NSW Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal. He previously was an administrative law solicitor with the Legal Aid Commission of NSW, a solicitor at the Inner City Legal Centre and a Senior Conciliator at the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.

Tim Connellan

Part-time Member, Melbourne

Appointed: 1 July 2007 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Tim Connellan has a business and dispute management background. Having previously served three terms as Victorian President of the Australian Small Business Association, he was a founding board member of the Melbourne Fashion Incubator, Chairman of Jobseekers Over Forty Association and a panel member of Liquor Licensing Victoria. He is currently senior mediator with the Office of the Victorian Small Business Commissioner, and has recently completed two terms as State Chairman of the Dispute Resolution Industry body LEADR. Tim conducts dispute management training with both the public and private sectors.

Bronwyn Connolly

Part-time Member, Sydney

LLB, BA (Juris)

Appointed: 1 July 2007 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Bronwyn Connolly is a Member of the Social Security Appeals Tribunal. She is admitted as a barrister and solicitor in the Supreme Courts of South Australia and New South Wales and worked as Legal Counsel for the Olympic Roads and Transport Authority and the NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care and in a number of government departments and authorities in Western Australia and South Australia in transport, disability, consumer affairs and procurement areas. She was the Registrar of the SA Commercial Tribunal for over 4 years. She is actively involved in disability groups within the community, notably as a board director of the Royal Rehabilitation Centre Sydney.

David Connolly AM

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA, DBS, FCPA

Appointed: 1 July 2002 (RRT), 1 July 2004 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

David Connolly was a career diplomat from 1965 to 1974, serving in Colombo, the United Nations New York and Tel Aviv. He was a Member of the Australian Parliament between 1974 and 1996 and a consultant with the legal firm Phillips Fox from 1996 to 1998. He was a Commonwealth adviser to the South African Parliament in 1997-1998 and Australian High Commissioner to South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland from 1998 to 2002. He is a Trustee Director of ARIA formerly the CSS/PSS Commonwealth superannuation funds, Chairman of Rice Warner Actuaries and a Director of the Braidwood Rural Lands Protection Board.

Michael Cooke

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA, Dip Ed

Appointed: 13 June 2000 (MRT), 1 July 2004 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Michael Cooke was previously an adviser to a Federal Minister. He has also worked as a flight attendant (International) with Qantas Airways, a steel worker in Wollongong and as a school teacher in Western Sydney. He has had a long-term interest in immigration and has had an involvement with Manly Warringah ethnic communities.

Angela Cranston

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA, LLB, LLM, Grad Dip Writing

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (MRT), 14 November 2005 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Angela Cranston has worked in the field of migration law for over 15 years. She has previously worked as a research officer for the Immigration Review Tribunal and as the Coordinator of the Refugee Advice and Casework Service and a migration agent for the Immigration Advice and Rights Centre. She has also worked as a resettlement officer for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in West Africa. She has also previously worked on the Professional Conduct Panel of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA).

Bernadette Cremean

Part-time Member, Melbourne

LLB, BJuris

Appointed: 1 July 2007 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Bernadette Cremean is currently a part-time Member of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal sitting mainly in the Residential Tenancies and Civil lists. Prior to which she was a Member of the Crimes Compensation Tribunal (Victoria) and the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal. Apart from Tribunal positions, she was a solicitor at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Victorian) for a number of years and a part-time lecturer at Monash University in Criminal Justice Studies.

Sue Crosdale

Part-time Member, Sydney

BMed, LLB (Hons), GDLP, LLM, FACLM, AFACHSE

Appointed: 1 July 2007 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Dr Sue Crosdale has worked as a medical practitioner, health administrator and solicitor.

Gabrielle Cullen

Part-time Member, Sydney

LLB, LLM (International Law), BCom

Appointed: 1 July 2006 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Gabrielle Cullen is admitted as a solicitor to the Supreme Court of NSW. She was formerly with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees working in Australia, and Pakistan, as their Legal/Resettlement Officer. Prior to this she worked as the Refugee Advocacy Officer with the National Council of Churches in Australia, and as a solicitor in private practice.

Ted Delofski

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA (Hons), MPhil (Economics)

Appointed: 1 October 2001 (MRT), 1 July 2004 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Ted Delofski has a diplomatic and public service background. Diplomatic positions he has held include Australia's Ambassador to the Netherlands, Ambassador to the World Trade Organisation in Geneva, High Commissioner to Singapore, Minister (Economic) in London, and Australia's senior official APEC representative. In Canberra, he has held the positions of First Assistant Secretary in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Assistant Secretary in the Treasury.

Richard Derewlany

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA (Hons)

Appointed: 1 October 2001 (MRT), 1 July 2004 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Richard Derewlany previously worked as an Investigations Manager with the Commonwealth Ombudsman's Office, specialising in matters arising from the administration of social security and child support legislation. He has worked as a migration consultant for a number of companies and has also had a number of years experience working at DIAC. He has also been a member of the Management Committee of the Immigration Advice and Rights Centre in Sydney.

Dione Dimitriadis

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA, LLB

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (MRT), 14 November 2005 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Dione Dimitriadis previously worked as a solicitor in private practice and as a legal officer in the Australian Legal Aid Office, the Public Solicitor's Office and the Department of Consumer Affairs. She was previously a Referee of the Consumer Claims Tribunals, a Member of the Fair Trading Tribunal, a Member of the Residential Tribunal, a Member of the NSW Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal and a Strata Schemes Adjudicator.

David Dobell

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA/LLB, Grad Dip Communications

Appointed: 1 July 2006 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

David Dobell has had over 20 years experience in the community/public sector, having worked in a number of community legal centres as a solicitor/advocate and as a community educator. He has specialised in the areas of tenancy and ageing and disability, privacy and human rights policy. He was previously a Member of the Social Security Appeals Tribunal for over 11 years and has also been a Member of the Administrative Decisions Tribunal, NSW (Community Services Division), the NSW Housing Appeals Committee and the NSW Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal.

Namoi Dougall

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA (Hons), LLB, LLM

Appointed: 12 July 1999 (MRT), 1 July 2004 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Namoi Dougall has served on a number of state tribunals including as a Member of the Equal Opportunity Tribunal. She has been a solicitor (Corrs Pavey Whiting & Byrne, Clayton Utz, Middletons Moore & Bevins, and Allen Allen & Hemsley) and an associate to Justice Morling of the Federal Court of Australia. She has also served as a Director on the Boards of the NSW Chamber of Commerce and the Northern Area Health Service, as well as being a policy adviser to a Federal Cabinet Minister and the NSW and Victorian representative on the then Prime Minister's Republic Advisory Committee.

Ann Duffield

Full-time Member, Sydney

BA (Hons)

Appointed: 1 July 2006 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Ann Duffield has a background in the public service and government. She was head of the Multicultural Affairs Unit in the Victorian Department of Premier and Cabinet prior to serving 8 years as the senior adviser to a Federal Cabinet Minister.

Jonathon Duignan

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA, LLB

Appointed: 8 January 2001 (MRT), 1 July 2004 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Jonathon Duignan has worked in the field of migration law for over 17 years. He has previously worked with the Immigration Advice and Rights Centre and with the RRT. He worked as a Training Officer with the Service for the Treatment and Rehabilitation of Torture and Trauma Survivors and for the Blue Mountains Community Legal Centre prior to his appointment to the MRT. He has also worked as a part-time lecturer in law at the University of Western Sydney, Nepean for
several years.

Suseela Durvasula

Part-time Member, Sydney

LLB, BCom, MALP

Appointed: 1 October 2001 (MRT), 1 July 2004 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Suseela Durvasula is also a part-time Member of the Social Security Appeals Tribunal. She has worked in a number of areas of the public sector including as a policy officer for the Australian Communications and Media Authority, a manager at the MRT, a legal advocate for Centrelink, and a policy officer for the Commonwealth Department of Health and the Department of Housing. She also has been a legal researcher for the Australian Law Reform Commission.

Jennifer Ellis

Part-time Member, Melbourne

BA, LLB (Hons)

Appointed: 15 June 1999 (MRT), 1 July 2004 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Jennifer Ellis is admitted as a barrister and solicitor in the Supreme Courts of Victoria and Western Australia. She has worked in the field of migration and refugee law since 1989. She worked as a solicitor with the Australian Government Solicitor from 1995 to 1999 specialising in administrative law particularly in the migration and refugee areas. She began her legal career as a solicitor at Herbert Geer and Rundle and was Associate to the Hon. Mr Justice Vincent of the Victorian Supreme Court. Since 1989 she has worked as a solicitor with the Legal Aid Commission of Victoria and the Sussex Street Community Law Service in Perth and was also a Legal Research Officer with the Immigration Review Tribunal for 2 years. She was a volunteer lawyer with Fitzroy Legal Service from 1986 until 2005.

Paul Fisher

Full-time Member, Melbourne

BA, LLB

Appointed: 1 July 2006 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Paul Fisher practised as an administrative lawyer for over 10 years, chiefly with Victoria Legal Aid. He has also performed voluntary work with a number of community legal centres. Prior to his admission to practice in 1995, he held a variety of positions in both the public and private sectors.

Mary-Anne Ford

Part-time Member, Sydney

Master of Higher Education, Dip Nurse Education, RMN, Certificate STD

Appointed: 1 July 2007 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Mary-Anne Ford has held senior nursing positions for a number of years including the provision of postgraduate nurse education at The Royal Hospital for Women, St Margaret's and Sydney Hospitals and in the School of Nursing at St Vincent's Hospital Darlinghurst. Her clinical background includes coronary care, emergency, surgical nursing and midwifery. Within these contexts she has had extensive experience of working with and caring for persons from diverse cultural backgrounds. The postgraduate courses currently conducted by her attract students from Singapore and other countries in South East Asia.

Bronwyn Forsyth

Full-time Member, Sydney

LLB (Hons), BA (International Studies)

Appointed: 25 September 2006 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Bronwyn Forsyth is admitted as a solicitor to the Supreme Court of NSW and has experience in the private sector, public sector, and working as an adviser to a Federal Cabinet Minister. As a lawyer in private practice she worked for Baker & McKenzie in Sydney and Singapore. She practised in employment and immigration law and was registered as a migration agent. Her public sector experience includes working as a Senior Legal Officer for DIAC in Canberra providing advice on refugee law, judicial review and lawful decision making.

Mila Foster

Part-time Member, Sydney

BComm, LLB

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (RRT),
14 November 2005 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Mila Foster was admitted as a Legal Practitioner of the Supreme Court of NSW in 1997. She was working at the RRT as a Legal Officer at the time of her appointment, and had previously worked with the Anti-Discrimination Board of NSW (1995-2000) and the St George Migrant Resource Centre (1991-1995).

Rosa Gagliardi

Full-time Member, Melbourne

BA (Hons)

Appointed: 31 July 2006 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Rosa Gagliardi has worked in the Australian Federal Police as a Criminal Intelligence Analyst and then in various capacities in the criminal and security law areas of the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department. Amongst other things, she oversaw the legislation/litigation areas of the portfolio as Adviser to a Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs. She also spent several years working as the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department Liaison Officer to the Minister for Justice and Customs. During May-October 1990 she worked in Rome, Italy at Marymount International School and has taught Italian language to infant and primary school children for the Italian Embassy.

Adolfo Gentile

Part-time Member, Melbourne

BA, Dip Tertiary Education, MEd Admin

Appointed: 28 July 1997 (RRT), 1 January 2006 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Adolfo Gentile was a full-time Member until June 2007 when he became a part-time Member. He is an Advanced Translator (Italian to and from English) accredited by the National Accreditation Authority for Translators and Interpreters (NAATI). He was
the Head of the School of Languages, Interpreting and Translating at Deakin University for many years. He has been Chairman of NAATI and the President of the International Federation of Translators. He is also a member of the COMITES for Victoria and Tasmania. He has published on training, practice and research in the field of interpreting and translation.

Alan Gregory AM

Part-time Member, Melbourne

BCom, BEd, MEd, PhD

Appointed: 12 July 1999 (MRT), 1 July 2004 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Dr Alan Gregory has worked at Monash University, then Melbourne University, in the fields of economic education, curriculum development and young people with disabilities. He has written extensively on economics and history and his recent books include: Wealth and Welfare; A History of Lord Somers Camp and Power House; and The Ever Open Door (a history of the Royal Melbourne Hospital) and Strong Like Its Pillars (a history of Melbourne High School), and in 2007 The Sentimental Soldier. He is Chairman of the Gorman Foundation and Chairman of the Sir Robert Menzies Lecture Trust and deputy chairman of the Melbourne High School Foundation. He was formerly a Member of the Geographic Place Names Committee of Victoria and an adjunct Professor in the Graduate School at Swinburne University.

George Haddad

Full-time Member, Melbourne

Appointed: 1 July 2006 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

George Haddad was a Member of the MRT (2000-2002). He has extensive experience including in the private sector as a noted restaurateur; as adviser to a Federal Minister; and in developing immigration policy and related legislation. He was also head of the immigration section at the Australian Consulate General in Shanghai. As a member of the Administrative Review Council, he contributed to Better Decisions: Review of Commonwealth Merits Review Tribunals.

Genevieve Hamilton

Part-time Member, Melbourne

BA (Hons), LLB

Appointed: 28 August 2000 (RRT), 1 July 2004 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Genevieve Hamilton was admitted to legal practice in Melbourne and then worked as an officer of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade from 1989 to 2000, including as First Secretary at the Australian Mission to the United Nations in New York 1995-1998. She was Director of the Association of South East Asian Nations Section, International Policy Division, in the Department of Defence in 2000.

Luke Hardy

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA, MA

Appointed: 15 September 1993 (RRT), 1 January 2006 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Luke Hardy holds an MA in Latin American Studies, his thesis addressing the Central American refugee situation in the 1980s. Prior to joining the Tribunals, he was an officer of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in Thailand and Indonesia. From 1986 to 1991, he was the Executive Director of the Refugee Council of Australia. In 1986, 1988 and 1990, he was the non-government member of Australia's official delegations to UNHCR's Executive Committee in Geneva. In the early 1980s, he worked with an Australian NGO resettlement program for refugees in Thailand. He has worked on TV documentaries about refugees, one made in Laos and the other on the Iran-Iraq border, and has written on refugee issues for a number of publications.

Kerry-Anne Hartman

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA, LLB, Grad Cert Dispute Resolution

Appointed: 28 July 1997 (RRT), 1 July 2004 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Kerry-Anne Hartman was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW in 1975. She has worked as a solicitor in private practice and as a lecturer in law. She was a part-time Member of the Immigration Review Tribunal in 1999.

Megan Hodgkinson

Part-time Member, Melbourne

BA/LLB, LLM

Appointed: 23 March 2000 (MRT), 1 July 2004 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Megan Hodgkinson is admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria and the High Court of Australia, and as a Legal Practitioner of the Supreme Court of NSW. Her previous experience includes employment as a Legal Officer and an Investigator with the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, in the Legal Section of the RRT and as a Tipstaff and Research Assistant in the NSW Court of Appeal, as well as voluntary work as a solicitor.

Diane Hubble

Part-time Member, Melbourne

BA/LLB

Appointed: 1 July 2006 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Diane Hubble was admitted to practise as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1994, and worked as a lawyer in private practice and at Victoria Legal Aid over the next 7 years, mainly in immigration and family law. She is currently a sessional Registrar of the Federal Magistrates Court and a Senior Case Officer with the Child Support Agency. In the past, she has also served as a part-time Member of both the Social Security Appeals Tribunal and the Mental Health Review Board, and on the Professional Standards Committee of the Migration Agents Registration Authority.

Rodney Inder

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA, MA

Appointed: 1 October 2001 (RRT), 1 January 2006 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Rodney Inder worked in the Australian Council for the Arts and the Department of Defence prior to holding a number of senior executive positions in DIAC including as the Assistant Secretary of the Refugees Branch, Settlement Branch, Ethnic Affairs Branch and Citizenship & Language Services Branch. He has also served as First Secretary in the Australian Embassy in Bangkok (1980-1982) running Australia's refugee resettlement program, held a senior position in the Africa Bureau of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (1983-1984), and was Counsellor at the Australian Embassy in Washington, also covering the refugee situation in Central America (1985-1987). More recently, he was the inaugural Executive Officer of the Commission for Real Property Claims of Displaced Persons and Refugees in Bosnia and Herzegovina (1996), Special Representative of the Director-General for Project Development in Timor, International Organization for Migration (1999), and consultant to Mission Australia on refugee matters (2001).

Andrew Jacovides

Part-time Member, Sydney

BSW, Assoc Dip Comm Welfare

Appointed: 19 September 1993 (RRT), 1 July 2004 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Andrew Jacovides was previously employed by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. He was appointed as a part-time Member of the Immigration Review Tribunal in 1999.

Ricky Johnston

Part-time Member, Brisbane

Dip Gen Nursing

Appointed: 12 July 1999 (MRT), 1 July 2004 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Ricky Johnston has been involved in the public and private arenas. She was a Member of the House of Representatives and served on several parliamentary committees. She commenced her career life as a registered nurse, has worked in managerial roles in business and companies and participated as Chair and Member on a number of Boards and community organisations.

Deborah Jordan

Part-time Member, Melbourne

LLB

Appointed: 1 July 2007 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Deborah Jordan is admitted as a barrister and solicitor in the Supreme Court of Victoria, the Supreme Court of South Australia and in the High Court of Australia. Prior to commencing work in the public sector, she practised as a solicitor in private practice. She worked in the area of administrative review in another jurisdiction before being appointed to the Tribunals. Ms Jordan has had experience with legal aid agencies in Victoria and South Australia. She has an interest in equal opportunity law and disability law and has worked in a voluntary capacity for various organisations.

Peter Katsambanis

Part-time Member, Melbourne

BComm, LLB

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (RRT), 14 November 2005 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Peter Katsambanis has been a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria and the High Court of Australia since 1991. He has worked as a corporate solicitor in the funds management industry and was formerly a Member of the Victorian Parliament. He has been Chairman of the Australian Greek Welfare Society and is currently a board member of the Korowa Anglican Girls School.

Kay Kirmos

Part-time Member, Melbourne

BA, LLB

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (MRT), 14 November 2005 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Kay Kirmos was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1984. From 1984 until 1999 she practised as a solicitor, variously in a community legal service, for the State Government and in private practice. She worked in her own part-time legal practice from 1989 until 1999, and also conducted administrative reviews as a consultant for 2 Federal Government departments from 1992 until July 2003. She has been a Sessional Member of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal since 1999 and a part-time Member of the Social Security Appeals Tribunal since January 2007.

Suzanne Leal

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA (Hons), LLB

Appointed: 1 October 2001 (MRT), 1 July 2004 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Suzanne Leal was admitted to the Supreme Court of NSW in 1992. She was appointed to the Administrative Decisions Tribunal (NSW) as a part-time Member in November 2003. In 2006, she published a work of fiction entitled Border Street. She has worked as a criminal lawyer with the Legal Aid Commission of NSW, as a policy adviser at the Criminal Law Review Division of the NSW Attorney General's Department and as an author for the Australian Criminal Reports.

Gary Ledson

Part-time Member, Melbourne

BEc, Dip Ed

Appointed: 1 July 2007 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Gary Ledson is recently retired from the Victorian Department of Education and Training. He has taught Mathematics and Commerce in several secondary colleges. More recently he has held Principal positions at Sandringham College and Rosebud Secondary College. His last appointment was as Principal of Mornington Secondary College. He also has extensive experience as a Curriculum Consultant and has held a number of voluntary positions on community boards and committees.

Patricia Leehy

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA (Hons), Grad Dip Comm, Dip Arts

Appointed: 28 July 1997 (RRT), 1 July 2004 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Patricia Leehy worked in various senior executive level positions within the Australian Public Service from 1980 to 1993, following 3 years with the Ethnic Communities' Council of NSW. She was the Registrar of the RRT from 1993 to 1997. In 1997 she worked as a consultant with the NSW Government Office of Community Housing. She also worked as a Member of the Immigration Review Tribunal in 1999.

Dominic Lennon

Part-time Member, Melbourne

BA, LLB, Grad Dip Mil Law

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (MRT), 1 January 2006 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Dominic Lennon has been a solicitor with the Victorian and Commonwealth Offices of Public Prosecutions and the Aboriginal Legal Service of WA. He was also the Legal Advisor to the Australian Banking Industry Ombudsman and practised at the Victorian Bar in commercial law, employment law and criminal law.

Christine Long

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA (Hons), LLB

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (RRT), 14 November 2005 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Christine Long has worked in various areas of public law, including as a lawyer for the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department, as a solicitor for the Australian Government Solicitor's Office, as Deputy Registrar for the Federal Court of Australia and as a Senior Assistant Director for the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions. She has also worked as a Member of the Social Security Appeals Tribunal and the NSW Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal. She is admitted as a solicitor in NSW.

Amanda MacDonald

Part-time Member, Sydney

BSc, MALP

Appointed: 1 December 2000 (MRT), 1 January 2006 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Amanda MacDonald was a Conference Registrar and District Registrar with the Administrative Appeals Tribunal from 1999 to 2001 and a Member and Registrar of the Social Security Appeals Tribunal from 1988 to 2001. She has worked for the Department of Social Security, the Department of Finance and on secondment with KPMG. She was an Acting Senior Member from August 2005 to December 2006. Amanda is currently a Senior Member of the Veterans' Review Board and a Member of the Social Security Appeals Tribunal.

Wendy Machin

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA, MCom

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (MRT), 14 November 2005 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Wendy Machin has experience in the public and private sectors. She served for 11 years in the NSW Parliament, holding numerous senior positions, including the role of Minister for Consumer Affairs and Deputy Speaker. Before entering Parliament she worked as a public relations consultant and served in local government. She is currently a Director of NRMA Motoring Services and Chairman of Adventure World Travel and has served on the Board of Save the Children Fund, the National Council for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect and was the Deputy Chair of the Australian Republican Movement (1997-2000). She also consults to private sector companies and government in dispute resolution.

Jane Marquard

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA, LLB

Appointed: 1 July 2006 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Jane Marquard is a solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW. She has wide-ranging experience in the public and private sectors. In 2005 she completed a term as a Board Member of the Australian Broadcasting Authority. She represented the Board in local and international forums and was active on numerous sub-committees. She was responsible for a number of policy initiatives, particularly in the areas of content regulation, internet and new media, and digital television. Prior to this, she was Manager, Policy Development, for Publishing and Broadcasting Limited, and Corporate Counsel for the Nine Network. She has worked in commercial law and litigation at Blake Dawson Waldron Solicitors, for the Director of Public Prosecutions in criminal law and at a community legal centre. She has served on the Federation of Commercial Television Stations, the University of Sydney Senate, the Sydney Festival Board, and is a councillor at her local school.

Rosemary Mathlin

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA, LLB

Appointed: 1 July 1993 (RRT), 1 July 2004 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Rosemary Mathlin was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW and the High Court of Australia in 1983. From 1986 to 1991 she worked as a solicitor for the Legal Aid Commission of NSW in the Administrative Law Section. She was appointed a Community Representative on the Refugee Status Review Committee from February to June 1993, and was appointed to the Immigration Review Tribunal in February 1999.

Philippa McIntosh

Part-time Member, Sydney

Appointed: 5 September 1993 (RRT), 1 January 2006 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

From 1977 to 1987 Philippa McIntosh worked with non-government agencies in the UK, including the British Refugee Council, variously as a consultant, researcher and caseworker, in areas relating to refugees, asylum seekers and migrants. She was the Co-ordinator of the Refugee Advice and Casework Service (NSW) from 1987 to 1993. She became a Member of the RRT in 1993, initially as a part-time Member and, for ten years to June 2007, a full-time Member.

Susannah McNeill

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA, LLB

Appointed: 1 July 2006 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Susannah McNeill has worked as a migration agent/solicitor in both private practice and community legal centres with the Refugee Advice and Casework Service and from March 2001 with the Immigration Advice and Rights Centre. She has served as a Director with the Migration Institute of Australia and was also a member of the Professional Standards Committee of the Migration Agents Registration Authority.

David Mitchell

Part-time Member, Melbourne

LLB (Hons)

Appointed: 7 July 1999 (MRT), 1 July 2004 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

David Mitchell has been a full-time Member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) of Victoria and subsequently the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Prior to his appointment to the Victorian AAT, he was the Solicitor to the Environment Protection Authority of Victoria and Assistant Solicitor at the Melbourne and Metropolitan Board of Works. He has lectured and tutored in environmental and administrative law, and he is an accredited mediator and trainer. He has been retained by the Environment Protection Authority of Victoria to appear as counsel in prosecutions, and to provide other consultant advisory and training services. He is a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria.

Lilly Mojsin

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA, LLB, Dip Ed

Appointed: 28 July 1997 (RRT), 1 July 2004 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Lilly Mojsin is a practising solicitor admitted to practise in the Supreme Court of NSW and the High Court of Australia since 1975. She was a part-time Member of the RRT from July 1997 to July 2003 and a full-time Member to July 2004 when she was reappointed as a part-time Member. She has previously been a part-time Member of the Immigration Review Tribunal and the MRT. She has been a partner of a legal firm and a sole practitioner and has extensive experience in general legal practice. She has also worked for legal aid in NSW and has been an honorary solicitor for a range of community organisations. She has been a Commissioner for Ethnic Affairs (NSW), a part-time consultant to the Ethnic Affairs Commission (NSW), and a Legal Member of the NSW Dental Technicians Registration Board. She has also worked as a conciliation officer with the Counsellor for Equal Opportunity (NSW) and she has tutored in law.

Deborah Morgan

Part-time Member, Adelaide

LLB

Appointed: 13 June 2000 (MRT), 1 July 2004 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Deborah Morgan has previously lectured and tutored in law and was a consultant solicitor with her main areas of practice being in family and migration law. She has held positions as the Chair of the SA Psychological Board, Member of the SA Optometrists Board, Presiding Member of the SA Optical Dispensers' Registration Committee and was a Member of the Board of the State Opera of South Australia until September 2004.

Sydelle Muling

Part-time Member, Melbourne

LLB, BA Legal Studies (HONS)

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (RRT), 14 November 2005 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Sydelle Muling has previous experience as a Legal Officer and team leader in the RRT and the Australian Taxation Office. She was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of the ACT and the High Court of Australia in 2000.

Andrew Mullin

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA (Hons), Master of Legal Studies

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (RRT), 14 November 2005 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Andrew Mullin joined the then Department of Foreign Affairs in 1971 and served in Brazil and, as Deputy Head of Mission or Acting Head of Mission, in Sri Lanka, Samoa, Greece, Cyprus and South Korea. He was the Australian High Commissioner in Tonga from 1995 to 1999. He headed the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade's (DFAT) Human Rights Section in 1987-1988 and was a member of the Australian delegation to the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in 1988. He was the DFAT speech writer from 1994-1995 and served as a United Nations electoral observer in Mozambique in 1994.

Louise Nicholls

Part-time Member, Sydney

LLB

Appointed: 31 October 2001 (RRT), 1 July 2004 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Louise Nicholls was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW and barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of the ACT in 1977. She practised as a solicitor in private practice and in the ACT Legal Aid Office before spending a number of years in Los Angeles and San Francisco (1980-1983). After her return to Canberra she was appointed Senior Instructor at the Australian National University (ANU) Legal Workshop and Lecturer in Legal Ethics at the ANU. From 1990 she worked in private practice and legal aid in the ACT. Since 1996 she has taught students at the College of Law, Sydney and was Solicitor in Charge of the Parramatta office of the Legal Aid Commission of NSW (1996-2001). She has served on various committees of the ACT and NSW Law Societies. She was a full-time Member of the RRT between October 2001 and July 2004 when she was appointed as a part-time Member of both the MRT and the RRT.

Steve Norman

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA, LLB

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (RRT), 14 November 2005 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Steve Norman has worked in the refugee status determination (RSD) process for over 10 years. Amongst other things, he has managed part of an RSD exercise for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) in the Sudan. He is currently on the UNHCR, RSD Deployment Roster. He has published journal articles on the assessment of refugee protection obligations in Australia. He has assisted in the drafting of Australia's contributions to the Expert Roundtable Conferences celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Refugees Convention. Further, he has overseen the preparation of submissions relating to other human rights treaties to which Australia is a signatory; he has previously been employed as an instructor in law at the University of Technology, Sydney; and he is currently employed on one other Commonwealth Tribunal.

Ann O'Toole

Part-time Member, Sydney

LLB (Hons)

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (RRT), 14 November 2005 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Ann O'Toole was admitted to practise as a barrister in NSW in 1984. She practised as a barrister in London from 1983 to 1985. From 1985 until 1988 she worked as a Crown Prosecutor for the Director of Public Prosecutions in London. From 1989 to 1990 she was a senior investigative lawyer with the NSW Crime Commission. From 1990 to 2001 she was employed as a Principal Legal Officer with the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions.

Christopher Packer

Part-time Member, Sydney

LLB, Grad Dip (Legal Practice)

Appointed: 1 October 2001 (MRT), 1 July 2004 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Christopher Packer is admitted as a legal practitioner to the Supreme Courts of SA and the ACT. His public sector experience includes working at the MRT from 1999 to 2001. Prior to that he worked in DIAC, including as Manager of the NSW Migration Internal Review Office for a number of years. Other government departments he has worked in are the Department of Housing and Construction and the Department of Defence.

Susan Pinto

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA (HONS), LLB, MA (Criminology)

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (MRT), 14 November 2005 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Susan Pinto has worked in administrative law for over 15 years. She was previously employed as a legal officer at the RRT. Prior to that she was a strategic analyst at the National Crime Authority and a senior researcher at the Australian Institute of Criminology. She is admitted as a Legal Practitioner in NSW.

Pauline Pope

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (RRT), 14 November 2005 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Pauline Pope worked as an officer of DIAC from 1975 to 2003, with 2 overseas postings to The Hague and Kuala Lumpur.

Noel Pullen

Part-time Member, Melbourne

JP, ASM

Appointed: 1 July 2007 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Noel Pullen worked in the finance industry for some 30 years and operated his own consultancy business. He is a former member of the Victorian Parliament and is involved in a number of community and sporting groups.

Kira Raif

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA, LLB, LLM

Appointed: 1 July 2006 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Kira Raif was admitted as a legal practitioner of the Supreme Court of NSW in 1998. Prior to joining the Tribunals, she worked in private practice in the area of immigration law for a period of 10 years.

Greg Robinson

Part-time Member, Melbourne

DES (Masters) International Relations, LLB (Hons), BComm, BA (Hons)

Appointed: 1 July 2007 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Greg Robinson is a practising barrister, specialising in public, international and commercial law. Before signing the Bar Roll he worked at the Office of National Assessments (Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet), on international trade and economics matters, and at the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade in the Trade Negotiations Division. He also worked in the Office of the Minister for Foreign Affairs between 1996 and 1998, advising on international economics.

Shahyar Roushan

Full-time Member, Sydney

BA, LLB (Hons)

Appointed: 31 October 2001 (RRT), 1 January 2006 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Shahyar Roushan is a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of the ACT. He has previously worked at the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department, the Australian Government Solicitor and the Cape Town office of the South African Human Rights Commission. He has also tutored in law at the Australian National University. In 2004-2005 he was a Visiting Scholar at the Centre for Gender and Refugee Studies, University of California Hastings College of the Law.

James Silva

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA, LLB, MBA

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (RRT), 14 November 2005 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

James Silva began his career in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT), where he worked from 1983 to 2002. His service included postings to Australian diplomatic missions in Bangladesh (1984-1986), Germany (First Secretary, Bonn) (1991-1995) and the Netherlands (Deputy Ambassador, The Hague) (1997-2001). He occupied various positions in Canberra, most recently as the Director of DFAT's International Intellectual Property Section. He has also worked in the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, as Senior Adviser in the International Division (1995), and in the NSW Cabinet Office as Director of Greenhouse and Sustainable Development (2002-2003).

Don Smyth

Part-time Member, Brisbane

BA, LLB (Hons), MIndEmpRels

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (RRT), 14 November 2005 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Don Smyth is also a part-time Member of the Social Security Appeals Tribunal. He has worked in a number of areas of the public sector, including as a Legal Team Leader at the RRT and a Legislation Policy Officer in the Victorian Department of Human Services.

Louise Spieler

Part-time Member, Melbourne

BA, BSW, JD

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (MRT), 14 November 2005 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Louise Spieler began her career in DIAC which included overseas postings as Senior Migration Officer in Belgrade and Principal Migration Officer in Rome. She subsequently moved into the community sector working with newly arrived migrants and refugees at a Migrant Resource Centre before taking up the position of Co-ordinator with the Asylum Seeker Assistance Scheme at Australian Red Cross Victoria. Prior to being appointed as a part-time Member, she spent 3 years as Case Team Manager with the MRT in Melbourne. During that time she did a 7 month AusAID consultancy with the Papua New Guinea Department of Immigration.

Linda Symons

Part-time Member, Sydney

BLegS, BA, MAA, LLM

Appointed: 1 July 2006 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Linda Symons is admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of NSW and a solicitor of the High Court of Australia. She has worked as a solicitor in private practice (Nikola Velcic & Associates and Watts McCray Lawyers) and has worked for the Legal Aid Commission of NSW and the NSW Department of Community Services. She has also worked for the Family Court of Australia and the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and the Federal Magistrates Court. Linda is an accredited mediator and conciliator.

Karen Synon

Part-time Member, Melbourne

MBA (Melbourne University)

Appointed: 1 October 2001 (RRT), 1 July 2004 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Karen Synon has an extensive background in community development and policy matters. She founded a large non-profit provider of services to the unemployed in the western suburbs of Melbourne and was General Manager of its flagship program from 1987 to 1993. From 1993-1997 she was the First Assistant Secretary for Employment for the Victorian Government and developed and oversaw the first state-wide move to an outsourced model of community employment placement services and initiated several other state-wide community initiatives aimed at revitalising local communities. From 1997-1999 Karen was a Senator for Victoria in the Federal Parliament and during that time served on the Foreign Affairs and Trade Joint Parliamentary Committee, the Joint Parliamentary Human Rights Committee, was Secretary of the Parliamentary Amnesty International Group and a member of the Parliamentary delegation to monitor the 1999 Indonesian elections.

David Thomas

Part-time Member, Melbourne

BA, MA, PhD, Juris D

Appointed: 12 July 1999 (MRT), 1 July 2004 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Dr David Thomas is a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria and admitted as a legal practitioner of the Supreme Court of NSW. He was a Board Member of the Victoria Law Foundation from 1994 to 2001. He is a qualified company director with experience in local government and consulting. Prior to his appointment to the MRT, he was the head of the Department of Economics and Law at Swinburne University of Technology and has extensive lecturing experience as well as having worked as a researcher and consultant in education. He has published extensively in Australian and overseas journals.

Irene Tsiakas

Part-time Member, Melbourne

LLB

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (RRT), 14 November 2005 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Irene Tsiakas was admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1975. From 1975 until 1985 she practised as a solicitor in private practice and for legal aid. She has worked as a Member of the Social Security Appeals Tribunal since 1988 and conducted administrative reviews for the Child Support Agency from 2001 to 2006.

Peter Tyler

Part-time Member, Melbourne

Appointed: 1 July 2007 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Peter Tyler was admitted as a barrister and solicitor to the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1976 and entered in the Register of Practitioners at the High Court of Australia the following year. He established a general practice in regional Victoria (Tyler, Tipping & Woods). He was an Executive Officer with the Department of Human Services and a member of the Department's Senior Policy Group. His community involvement has included Board member of the Latrobe Regional Hospital and the hospital's Research and Ethics Committee, Board member of Latrobe Community Health Service and Councillor of Latrobe City Council. He is a
part-time tutor in the Faculty of Medicine at Monash University.

Lisa Ward

Part-time Member, Perth

LLM

Appointed: 1 October 2001 (MRT), 1 July 2004 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Lisa Ward is a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of WA and the High Court of Australia. She previously worked at the Australian Government Solicitor and Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions between 1995 and 2001. She has also lectured and tutored in law at the University of Notre Dame. She was a solicitor in London from 1993 to 1995 and for the Royal Commission into Commercial Activities of Government and Other Matters from 1991 to 1992.

Phillippa Wearne

Part-time Member, Sydney

B Juris, LLB, LLM

Appointed: 1 July 2006 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Phillippa Wearne is a part-time member of the Social Security Appeals Tribunal. She was a deputy registrar in the Equity Division of the Supreme Court of NSW from 2001 to 2006, and was also registrar of the Protective List at the Court. Prior to that, she was a writer for a consumer law website, an electronic editor for a commercial publisher, and a lecturer at the Centre for Plain Legal Language, Faculty of Law, USYD. She lectured in commercial law at UNSW from 1987 to 1994.

Robert Wilson

Part-time Member, Sydney

BEc, LLB, Master of International Studies, Master Human Rights Law

Appointed: 1 July 2002 (RRT), 1 July 2004 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Robert Wilson has had experience as an associate in a commercial firm, as a legal educator, and as a Principal Legal Officer with the Australian Government Solicitor. He has worked in the area of migration and refugee law for 17 years, and has completed a programme in Human Rights Law at Oxford University.

Hugh Wyndham

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA, MA

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (RRT), 14 November 2005 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Hugh Wyndham is a business consultant and a practising mediator, conciliator and trainer. He is a member of the Management Committee of a not-for-profit organisation which looks after a National Trust property. Immediately prior to establishing his mediation and training practice, he worked for 6 years for P&O in Latin America, setting up new businesses for the P&O Group. Before that he was employed in the Australian diplomatic service, including terms as High Commissioner in Nigeria and Ambassador to Argentina.

Antoinette Younes

Full-time Member, Sydney

BA, MA (Psychology), GDLP, LLB, LLM

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (RRT), 1 January 2006 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Antoinette Younes is a solicitor, a psychologist and an accredited mediator with the Australian Commercial Disputes Centre. Prior to her appointment to the RRT, she was Deputy Registrar of the Supreme Court of NSW. She has conducted mediations of matters in the Court of Appeal, the Common Law Division and the Equity Division of the Supreme Court. Previously, she worked as a solicitor at a community legal centre. She has also worked at the Health Care Complaints Commission and St Vincent's Hospital as a psychologist.

David Young

Part-time Member, Melbourne

BA, MPub Pol, MInt & Comm Devlpt, Prof Cert Arb & Med

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (MRT), 14 November 2005 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Prior to being appointed to the MRT, David Young spent 11 years at the Office of the Commonwealth Ombudsman in a variety of roles, including Chief Information Officer and Assistant Commonwealth Ombudsman. He was previously a senior adviser to the Victorian Government on crime prevention, law enforcement and counter-disaster planning. Educated at Melbourne and Oxford Universities and trained as a psychologist, mediator and arbitrator, he has also served as a consultant on alternative dispute resolution to the Victorian Small Business Commissioner's Office and was a Member of the Social Security Appeals Tribunal and the Mental Health Review Board.

 

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June 2009

Mary Cameron is admitted as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria. She has most recently practised as a corporate lawyer with a major government business enterprise, primarily in commercial and administrative law. She has a background in equal opportunity and anti-discrimination law and practice, and has held a number of senior roles in both the Commonwealth and State public sectors managing equal opportunity and workforce diversity programs. She has also worked for Victoria Legal Aid.

Catherine Carney

Part-time Member, Sydney

LLB

Appointed: 1 July 2006 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Catherine Carney is currently a part-time Member of the NSW Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal and the Mental Health Review Tribunal. She was most recently a Registrar in the Family Court Sydney Registry. From 1998 until March 2005 she was the Principal Solicitor at Women's Legal Services, a community legal centre that services disadvantaged women and children. While at the legal centre she developed and implemented legal services to immigrant and refugee women and children in diverse ethnic communities in Western Sydney and rural NSW. She was also the NSW representative on the National Association of Community Legal Centres and Alternate Legal Aid Commissioner (NSW) Board Member of the Legal Aid Commission.

Jennifer Ciantar

Part-time Member, Sydney

BSW, Dip Admin, LLB (Hons)

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (MRT), 14 November 2005 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Jennifer Ciantar previously worked as a social worker and senior policy officer. She has been a part-time Member of the Social Security Appeals Tribunal and the NSW Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal. She is the Deputy Chairperson for the NSW Housing Appeals Committee.

John Cipolla

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA, LLB

Appointed: 1 December 2000 (MRT), 1 July 2004 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

John Cipolla is a part-time Member of the Guardianship Tribunal of NSW and the NSW Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal. He previously was an administrative law solicitor with the Legal Aid Commission of NSW, a solicitor at the Inner City Legal Centre and a Senior Conciliator at the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission.

Tim Connellan

Part-time Member, Melbourne

Appointed: 1 July 2007 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Tim Connellan has a business and dispute management background. Having previously served three terms as Victorian President of the Australian Small Business Association, he was a founding board member of the Melbourne Fashion Incubator, Chairman of Jobseekers Over Forty Association and a panel member of Liquor Licensing Victoria. He is currently senior mediator with the Office of the Victorian Small Business Commissioner, and has recently completed two terms as State Chairman of the Dispute Resolution Industry body LEADR. Tim conducts dispute management training with both the public and private sectors.

Bronwyn Connolly

Part-time Member, Sydney

LLB, BA (Juris)

Appointed: 1 July 2007 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Bronwyn Connolly is a Member of the Social Security Appeals Tribunal. She is admitted as a barrister and solicitor in the Supreme Courts of South Australia and New South Wales and worked as Legal Counsel for the Olympic Roads and Transport Authority and the NSW Department of Ageing, Disability and Home Care and in a number of government departments and authorities in Western Australia and South Australia in transport, disability, consumer affairs and procurement areas. She was the Registrar of the SA Commercial Tribunal for over 4 years. She is actively involved in disability groups within the community, notably as a board director of the Royal Rehabilitation Centre Sydney.

David Connolly AM

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA, DBS, FCPA

Appointed: 1 July 2002 (RRT), 1 July 2004 (MRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

David Connolly was a career diplomat from 1965 to 1974, serving in Colombo, the United Nations New York and Tel Aviv. He was a Member of the Australian Parliament between 1974 and 1996 and a consultant with the legal firm Phillips Fox from 1996 to 1998. He was a Commonwealth adviser to the South African Parliament in 1997-1998 and Australian High Commissioner to South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Lesotho and Swaziland from 1998 to 2002. He is a Trustee Director of ARIA formerly the CSS/PSS Commonwealth superannuation funds, Chairman of Rice Warner Actuaries and a Director of the Braidwood Rural Lands Protection Board.

Michael Cooke

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA, Dip Ed

Appointed: 13 June 2000 (MRT), 1 July 2004 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Michael Cooke was previously an adviser to a Federal Minister. He has also worked as a flight attendant (International) with Qantas Airways, a steel worker in Wollongong and as a school teacher in Western Sydney. He has had a long-term interest in immigration and has had an involvement with Manly Warringah ethnic communities.

Angela Cranston

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA, LLB, LLM, Grad Dip Writing

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (MRT), 14 November 2005 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Angela Cranston has worked in the field of migration law for over 15 years. She has previously worked as a research officer for the Immigration Review Tribunal and as the Coordinator of the Refugee Advice and Casework Service and a migration agent for the Immigration Advice and Rights Centre. She has also worked as a resettlement officer for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in West Africa. She has also previously worked on the Professional Conduct Panel of the Migration Agents Registration Authority (MARA).

Bernadette Cremean

Part-time Member, Melbourne

LLB, BJuris

Appointed: 1 July 2007 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Bernadette Cremean is currently a part-time Member of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal sitting mainly in the Residential Tenancies and Civil lists. Prior to which she was a Member of the Crimes Compensation Tribunal (Victoria) and the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal. Apart from Tribunal positions, she was a solicitor at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (Victorian) for a number of years and a part-time lecturer at Monash University in Criminal Justice Studies.

Sue Crosdale

Part-time Member, Sydney

BMed, LLB (Hons), GDLP, LLM, FACLM, AFACHSE

Appointed: 1 July 2007 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Dr Sue Crosdale has worked as a medical practitioner, health administrator and solicitor.

Gabrielle Cullen

Part-time Member, Sydney

LLB, LLM (International Law), BCom

Appointed: 1 July 2006 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Gabrielle Cullen is admitted as a solicitor to the Supreme Court of NSW. She was formerly with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees working in Australia, and Pakistan, as their Legal/Resettlement Officer. Prior to this she worked as the Refugee Advocacy Officer with the National Council of Churches in Australia, and as a solicitor in private practice.

Ted Delofski

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA (Hons), MPhil (Economics)

Appointed: 1 October 2001 (MRT), 1 July 2004 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Ted Delofski has a diplomatic and public service background. Diplomatic positions he has held include Australia's Ambassador to the Netherlands, Ambassador to the World Trade Organisation in Geneva, High Commissioner to Singapore, Minister (Economic) in London, and Australia's senior official APEC representative. In Canberra, he has held the positions of First Assistant Secretary in the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and Assistant Secretary in the Treasury.

Richard Derewlany

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA (Hons)

Appointed: 1 October 2001 (MRT), 1 July 2004 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Richard Derewlany previously worked as an Investigations Manager with the Commonwealth Ombudsman's Office, specialising in matters arising from the administration of social security and child support legislation. He has worked as a migration consultant for a number of companies and has also had a number of years experience working at DIAC. He has also been a member of the Management Committee of the Immigration Advice and Rights Centre in Sydney.

Dione Dimitriadis

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA, LLB

Appointed: 14 July 2003 (MRT), 14 November 2005 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

Dione Dimitriadis previously worked as a solicitor in private practice and as a legal officer in the Australian Legal Aid Office, the Public Solicitor's Office and the Department of Consumer Affairs. She was previously a Referee of the Consumer Claims Tribunals, a Member of the Fair Trading Tribunal, a Member of the Residential Tribunal, a Member of the NSW Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal and a Strata Schemes Adjudicator.

David Dobell

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA/LLB, Grad Dip Communications

Appointed: 1 July 2006 (MRT and RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2009

David Dobell has had over 20 years experience in the community/public sector, having worked in a number of community legal centres as a solicitor/advocate and as a community educator. He has specialised in the areas of tenancy and ageing and disability, privacy and human rights policy. He was previously a Member of the Social Security Appeals Tribunal for over 11 years and has also been a Member of the Administrative Decisions Tribunal, NSW (Community Services Division), the NSW Housing Appeals Committee and the NSW Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal.

Namoi Dougall

Part-time Member, Sydney

BA (Hons), LLB, LLM

Appointed: 12 July 1999 (MRT), 1 July 2004 (RRT)

Current term expires: 30 June 2010

Namoi Dougall has served on a number of state tribunals including as a Member of the Equal Opportunity Tribunal. She has been a solicitor (Corrs Pavey Whiting & Byrne, Clayton Utz, Middletons Moore & Bevins, and Allen Allen & Hemsley) and an associate to Justice Morling of the Federal Court of Australia. She has also served as a Director on the Boards of the NSW Chamber