CO-PATRONS IN CHIEF

We are honoured to have two distinguished Australians take on the role of Co-Patrons in Chief of the Justice Reform Initiative.

• The Honourable Sir William Deane AC KBE, former High Court Justice and Governor-General of Australia
• The Honourable Dame Quentin Bryce AD CVO, former Governor-General of Australia

NATIONAL PATRONS

In alphabetical order:

• The Honourable Dr Peter Baume AC DistFRSN. Former Senator for NSW (1974-1991), former Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Education, and Health. Former Professor of Community Medicine at the University of New South Wales (1991-2000), former Chancellor of the ANU (1994-2006). Former Commissioner of the Australian Law Reform Commission. Former Deputy Chair of the Australian National Council on AIDS and Foundation Chair of the Australian Sports Anti-Doping Authority. Life Governor of the Kirby Institute, and Hall of Fame recipient of Disability Australia.
• The Honourable Justice Virginia Bell AC. Former Justice of the High Court of Australia.
• Sharan Burrow AC. Former General Secretary of the International Trade Union Confederation 2010-2022.
  President of the Australian Council of Trade Unions 2000-2010. Sharan has also twice been a Co-Chair of the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos Switzerland and has represented workers and civil society groups in global policy discussions in UN bodies, as well as the tables of the G7, G20, World Bank and International Monetary Fund.
• The Most Reverend Timothy Costelloe SDB. Archbishop of Perth, President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference.
• Robert de Castella AO MBE. Four-time Olympian, Former World Marathon Champion, 1983 Australian of the Year, and Founder and Director of the Indigenous Marathon Foundation.
• The Honourable Elizabeth Evatt AC. Former Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia. 
• The Honourable Mary Gaudron KC. Former Justice of the High Court of Australia.
• Kate Grenville AO. Author of fifteen books, including the celebrated The Secret River. Kate has won the Orange Prize and Commonwealth Writers' Prize, with her books published worldwide and translated into many languages. Three have been adapted into feature films.  
• Anne Hollonds. Australian National Children’s Commissioner. Former Director of the Australian Institute of Family Studies.
• Dr Jackie Huggins AM FAHA. Former Co-Chair of Reconciliation Australia. 
• The Honourable Michael Kirby AC CMG. Former Justice of the High Court of Australia.
• Professor the Honourable Michael Lavarch AO. Former Attorney-General of Australia.
• Professor Patrick McGorry AO MD, PHD, FRCP, FRANZCP, FAA, FASSA, FAHMS. Former Australian of the Year.
• Suzie Miller. Suzie is a contemporary international playwright and screenwriter drawn to complex human stories often exploring injustice. Her plays have been produced in 40 productions around the world winning multiple prestigious awards, she has been commissioned by, or been in residence at theatres including London’s National Theatre, the National Theatre of Scotland, Griffin Theatre Australia, Theatre Gargantua Canada and La Boite Theatre Australia. Two of her acclaimed works are "Prima Facie" which has been translated into 20 languages and "Jailbaby" which highlights the violence associated with incarceration.
• Arthur Moses SC. Past President, Law Council of Australia.
• Mick Palmer AO APM. Former Commissioner, Australian Federal Police.
• Ben Quilty. Artist. Former winner Archibald Prize, Doug Moran National Portrait Prize, Brett Whiteley Travelling Art Scholarship and National Artists’ Self Portrait Prize.
• Professor Stephen Robson, President of the Australian Medical Association
• Lieutenant General The Honourable Dr John Sanderson, AC. Former Governor of Western Australia, former Chief of the Australian Army, former Force Commander of the United Nations in Cambodia.
• Councillor Linda Scott. President of the Australian Local Government Association, Sydney City Councillor and former Deputy Lord Mayor of the City of Sydney.
• Diane Smith-Gander AO. National Chair of Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) and past president of Chief Executive Women.
• Pat Turner AM. CEO, National Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Organisation (NACCHO).

AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY - PATRONS

In alphabetical order:

• Professor Lorana Bartels (co-chair). Professor of Criminology, Australian National University. Adjunct Professor, University of Canberra and University of Tasmania.
• Professor Tom Calma AO. Chancellor, University of Canberra. Co-Chair, Reconciliation Australia. Former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Commissioner and Race Discrimination Commissioner. 2023 Senior Australian of the Year.
• Kate Carnell AO. Former ACT Chief Minister. Deputy Chair, BeyondBlue. Former Australian Small Business and Family Enterprise Ombudsman.
• Simon Corbell. Former ACT Deputy Chief Minister, Attorney-General, Minister for Police and Emergency Services. Adjunct Professor, University of Canberra.
• Dr Ken Crispin KC. Former ACT Director of Public Prosecutions, Justice of the ACT Supreme Court and President of the ACT Court of Appeal.
• Karen Fryar AM. President of ACT Legal Aid Commission. Former ACT Magistrate, ACT Childrens Court Magistrate and Coroner of the ACT.
• Gary Humphries AO (co-chair). Former ACT Chief Minister and Attorney-General, and Senator representing the ACT in the Australian Parliament. 
• Rudi Lammers APM. Former ACT Chief Police Officer.
• Dr Michael Levy AM. Public health physician with 24 years experience as a clinician for adults and youth detainees in NSW and the ACT. 
• Dr Michael Moore AM PhD. Former independent ACT Minister for Health and Community Care. Past President, World Federation of Public Health Associations. Distinguished Fellow, The George Institute, University of NSW. Adjunct Professor, University of Canberra.
• The Honourable Richard Refshauge. Acting Justice of the ACT Supreme Court. Former ACT Director of Public Prosecutions.
• Dr Helen Watchirs OAM. Former President, ACT Human Rights Commission.
  
  

NEW SOUTH WALES - PATRONS

In alphabetical order:

• Professor Emerita Eileen Baldry AO. Professor Emerita of Criminology, University of New South Wales.
• Professor Larissa Behrendt. Professor of Law and Director of Research at the Jumbunna Indigenous House of Learning at the University of Technology Sydney.
• Jody Broun. Inaugural female co-chair of the National Congress of Australia’s First People.
• Nicholas Cowdery AO KC. Former Director of Public Prosecutions NSW.
• Bill Crews AM. Founder of the Rev. Bill Crews Foundation, broadcaster and National Living Treasure.
• The Honourable Bob Debus AM. Former Attorney General of NSW and former Federal Minister for Home Affairs.
• The Hon John Dowd AO KC. Former Attorney General of NSW, former Justice of the Supreme Court of NSW and Vice President of the International Commission of Jurists.
• John Feneley. Former Mental Health Commissioner NSW.
• The Hon Geoff Gallop AC. Former Premier of Western Australia and currently Emeritus Professor in the Faculty of Arts and Social Science at the University of Sydney.
• The Hon Katrina Hodgkinson. Former Minister for Primary Industries (including lands and water), former Minister for Small Business, former Assistant Minister for Tourism and Major Events.
• Dan Howard. Former President, NSW Mental Health Review Tribunal. Former Commissioner, Special Commission of Inquiry into the Drug 'Ice'.
• Ken Marslew AM. CEO of Enough is Enough.
• The Honourable Ruth McColl AO SC. Former Justice of the NSW Court of Appeal. 
• Dr John Paget. Former Assistant Commissioner NSW Corrective Services, CEO SA Correctional Services and NSW Inspector of Custodial Services.
• The Honourable Greg Smith SC. Former Attorney General of NSW and former Minister for Justice (including Juvenile Justice and Corrective Services).
• Dr John Vallance. Former NSW State Librarian. 
• Yvonne Weldon AM. City of Sydney Councillor. Former Chairperson of Metropolitan Local Aboriginal Land Council. Former Aboriginal Strategic Coordination Manager at Youth Justice NSW.

NORTHERN TERRITORY - PATRONS

In alphabetical order:

• Pat Anderson AO. Human rights advocate and Chairperson of the Lowitja Institute.
• Richard Coates. Former Magistrate, Legal Aid Director, Director of Public Prosecutions and CEO Justice Department of the NT.
• Suzan Cox OAM KC. FormerDirector, NT Legal Aid Commission.
• Most Reverend Charles Gauci. Bishop of Darwin.
• Olga Havnen. Former Chief Executive Officer, Danila Dilba Health Service in Darwin and former Executive Officer of the National Indigenous Working Group.
• The Hon Clare Martin. Former Chief Minister of the NT.
• Karen Sheldon AM. President NT Chamber of Commerce. Entrepreneur.
• Sally Sievers. NT Anti-Discrimination Commissioner & former acting NT Children's Commissioner. 

QUEENSLAND - PATRONS

In alphabetical order:

• Sallyanne Atkinson AO. Co-Chair of the Queensland Interim Body for Treaty and a member of the Queensland University Senate. 
• Adjunct Professor Kerry Carrington. School of Law and Society, University of the Sunshine Coast, and Director of her own Research Consultancy.
• Mick Gooda. Former Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Social Justice Commissioner and former Royal Commissioner into the Detention of Children in the Northern Territory.
• Keith Hamburger AM. Former Director-General, Queensland Corrective Services Commission. 
• Professor Emeritus Ross Homel, AO. Foundation Professor of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Griffith University.
• Gail Mabo. Gail is of the Meriam language group and clan of Mer (Murray Island) in the Torres Strait.  She is an Australian visual artist who has had her work exhibited across Australia and is represented in most major Australian art galleries and internationally. She was formerly a dancer and choreographer. Gail is also deeply engaged with young people in her community as a mentor and is the daughter of land rights campaigner Eddie Mabo and educator and activist Bonita Mabo AO. 
• Professor Elena Marchetti. Griffith Law School, Griffith University.
• The Honourable Margaret McMurdo AC. Former President Court of Appeal, Supreme Court of Queensland and Commissioner of the Victorian Royal Commission into the Management of Police Informants.
• Dr Mark Rallings. Former Commissioner, Queensland Corrective Services.
• Greg Vickery AO. Former President, Queensland Law Society and former Chair of the Standing Commission of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
• The Honourable Dean Wells. Former Attorney General of Queensland.
• The Honourable Margaret White AO. Former Judge of the Queensland Supreme Court and Queensland Court of Appeal, former Royal Commissioner into the Detention of Children in the Northern Territory, and Adjunct Professor TC Berne School of Law UQ.

SOUTH AUSTRALIA - PATRONS

In alphabetical order:

• Heather Agius. SA Female Elder of the Year in 2017 and a Founder of Grannies Group, a network of Aboriginal grandparents who advocate on behalf of issues affecting their children, grandchildren and their community. Mrs Agius is actively involved in assisting Aboriginal people navigate the criminal justice system. For the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement (ALRM) Heather is a Visiting Inspector of prisons; she is an Elder in the Magistrates Drug Court and sits on the independent committee, Family Matters, for children who are removed from their families.
• The Honourable Reverend Dr Lynn Arnold AO. Former Premier of South Australia.
• Dr Andrew Cannon AM FAAL. Former Deputy Chief Magistrate of South Australia and now adjunct Professor at Adelaide and Flinders Universities and visiting Professor at Münster and Trier Universities (Germany). 
• Helen Connolly. Inaugural South Australian Commissioner for Children and Young People.
• Professor Mark Halsey. Centre for Crime Policy and Research, Flinders University.
• The Honourable Robert Hill AC. Former Federal Minister and former Australian Permanent Representative to the United Nations.
• Frank Lampard OAM. Mr Lampard is of Ngarrindjeri and Kaurna descent, and has dedicated his life working for the Aboriginal community in South Australia. He has held several senior roles in the public service, including as the Acting Chief Executive of the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and has also been the Executive Director of the Aboriginal Prisoners and Offenders Support Services Incorporated. He has also served and had leadership roles on several government and other advisory bodies including the Aboriginal Torres Strait Islander War Memorial Committee. Mr Lampard has received numerous awards and recognition, including an Order of Australia medal and the National NAIDOC Elder of the Year Award. 
• Dr. Robyn Layton AO KC. Former Supreme Court Judge. Adjunct Professor Justice & Society, University of South Australia.
• Isobel Redmond. Former Leader of the Opposition and former Shadow Attorney-General. Former legal practitioner.
• Emeritus Professor Rick Sarre. Former Dean and Head of the School of Law University of South Australia.
• The Honourable Chris Sumner AM. South Australia’s longest serving Attorney-General.
• Sue Vardon AO. Former senior public servant including inaugural CEO of Centrelink, CEO of SA Correctional Services and Chief Executive of the SA Department of Families and Communities. Sue has been National Telstra Businesswoman of the Year and a member of the Council of a number of universities including Flinders University and University of South Australia.
• Penny Wright. Former Senator for South Australia and Former SA Guardian for Children and Young People and Training Centre Visitor.

TASMANIA - PATRONS

In alphabetical order:

• Greg Barns SC. Barrister, commentator and spokesperson on criminal justice for the Australian Lawyers Alliance.
• Rodney Dillon. Advocate for change.
• The Honourable Lara Giddings AO. Former Premier and Attorney-General of Tasmania.
• Adjunct Associate Professor Terese Henning. Former Director of the Tasmania Law Reform Institute.
• Michael Hill. Former Chief Magistrate of Tasmania and former Acting Justice of the Supreme Court of Tasmania. Currently Adjunct Professor within the Faculty of Law at the University of Tasmania and Chair of the Just Desserts Drug Court Support Group.
• The Rt Revd Dr Chris Jones. Vicar General and Assistant Bishop, Anglican Diocese of Tasmania and CEO of Anglicare Tasmania.
• Leanne McLean. Commissioner for Children and Young People Tasmania. 
• Christine Milne AO. Former Senator for Tasmania and leader the Australian Greens, current Global Greens Ambassador.
• Anna Reynolds. Lord Mayor of Hobart.
• The Honourable Denise Swan. Former Minister (Community Development, Status of Women, Aboriginal Affairs, Multicultural and Ethnic Affairs, and Local Government) and Member of the Tasmanian House of Assembly.
• Head Patron – Professor the Honourable Kate Warner AC. Former Governor of Tasmania. 
• Professor Rob White FASSA FANZSOC. Distinguished Professor of Criminology, School of Social Sciences, University of Tasmania.
• The Honourable Jim Wilkinson. Former President, Tasmanian Legislative Council, President of the Tasmanian Football Board and former partner of the law firm Wallace Wilkinson & Webster.

VICTORIA – PATRONS

In alphabetical order:

• Professor the Honourable Kevin Bell AM KC. Adjunct Professor of Law and former Director, Castan Centre for Human Rights Law, Monash University. Former Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria. Former President of the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal. Former President of the Forensic Leave Panel of Victoria. Former Commissioner of the Yoorrook Justice Commission. Patron of Tenants Victoria.
• The Honourable Jennifer Coate AO. Former Justice of the Family Court of Australia and Commissioner, Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Former President of the Children's Court of Victoria.
• Tim Costello AO. Former Mayor of St Kilda and CEO of World Vision, currently chair of the Community Council for Australia.
• Jon Faine AM. Broadcaster, commentator and lawyer.
• Petro Georgiou AO. Former Federal Member for Kooyong 1994-2010, Victorian Director of the Liberal Party 1989-94, founding Director of the Australian Institute of Multicultural Affairs.
• Louise Glanville. Chief Executive Officer, Victorian Legal Aid.
• The Honourable Rob Hulls. Former Deputy Premier and Attorney-General of Victoria. Director of the Centre for Innovative Justice at RMIT University.
• Ian Gray AM. Former Chief Magistrate of Victoria and of the Northern Territory, and former County Court Judge and Victorian State Coroner.
• Andrew M Jackomos PSM, Andrew is a Yorta Yorta/ Gunditjmara man and formerly the inaugural Victorian Commissioner for Aboriginal Children and Young People. As Commissioner he was responsible for leading Taskforce 1000, a systemic inquiry into services provided t Aboriginal children and young people in out-of-home care in Victoria,  and the tabling of two follow-up landmark reports: ‘Always was, always will be Koori Children’ and ‘In the Child’s best interests’. Andrew was also the Director, Koori Justice, Victorian Department of Justice where he led the development of the first three iterations of the Victorian Justice Agreement and related initiatives, as a joint community/government response to the recommendations and findings from the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody.
• The Honourable Jenny Macklin AC. Former Deputy Leader of the Opposition and Minister for Families, Housing, Community Services and Indigenous Affairs and Minister for Disability Reform.
• The Honourable Patrick McNamara. Former Leader of the National party in Victoria, 1988-1999, and 24th Deputy Premier of Victoria 1992-1999. Patrick held numerous Ministerial portfolios during his time as Deputy Premier including Minister for Police and Emergency Services and Minister for Corrections. He has also been honoured to serve as the Chair of both the major Victorian Bushfire Appeals over the past decade with the support of both sides of the parliament. 
• The Honourable Marcia Neave AO. Former Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria and Commissioner of the Royal Commission into Family Violence.
• The Honourable Alastair Nicholson AO KC RFD. Former Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria, former Chair of the Parole Board of Victoria, former Chief Justice of the Family Court of Australia and Justice of the Federal Court of Australia.
• Peter Norden, AO FANZSOC. Honorary Fellow in Criminology at Deakin University, Fellow of the Australian & New Zealand Society of Criminology. Peter has worked for criminal justice reform for many years, including as Pentridge Prison Chaplain, as the Founder and CEO of Jesuit Social Services, and as Convenor of the Victorian Criminal Justice Coalition.
• Fiona Patten, Former Victorian member of parliament and Chair of the Victorian Parliament Standing Committee on Legal and Social Issues overseeing numerous law and order inquiries including the Inquiry into Victoria’s Criminal Justice System.
• Dr Lois Peeler AM. Dr Peeler is Elder in Residence at Worawa Aboriginal College. Having worked at senior levels of both Federal and State Governments Lois acknowledges the legacy of her family who were at the forefront in the establishment of Aboriginal health, legal service and education in Victoria. In June 2014,  Lois was made a Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia for her "significant service to the Indigenous community as an educator, advocate and role model”. In 2017, she was Senior Victorian of the Year and in the same year she was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Social Science, Honoris Causa, by RMIT University. In 2020, she was inducted into the Victorian Women’s Honour Roll and in 2022 was NAIDOC Female Elder. In 2023 Lois was awarded an Honorary Doctor of Education, Honoris Causa, by Latrobe University. Lois has been a longstanding campaigner against the over-representation of Aboriginal people in the criminal justice system and leads an Aboriginal-led restorative justice pilot.

WESTERN AUSTRALIA – PATRONS

In alphabetical order:

• The Honourable Fred Chaney AO. Former Federal Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Minister for Social Security and Deputy Leader of the Federal Parliamentary Liberal Party. Former Deputy President, National Native Title Tribunal and Co-Chair, Reconciliation Australia.
• The Honourable Peter Dowding SC. Former Premier of Western Australia.
• Professor Pat Dudgeon, PhD BAppSc. GDip (Psych) FAPS. Director of the UWA Centre for Best Practice in Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Suicide Prevention, Lead CI on a NHMRC Million Minds Mission Grant Transforming Indigenous Mental Health and Wellbeing.
• Dennis Eggington. Former CEO, Aboriginal Legal Service of WA. Adjunct Professor, Curtin University.  
• Her Honour Antoinette Kennedy AO. Former Chief Judge of the District Court of Western Australia. 
• Greg McIntyre SC. President of the Law Council of Australia and past president, Law Society of Western Australia.
• The Honourable Wayne Martin AC KC. Former Chief Justice of Western Australia.
• Her Honour Kate O’Brien. Former District Court Judge and President of the Children’s Court.
• The Honourable Denis Reynolds CitWA. Former President of the Children's Court of Western Australia and Senior Judge of the District Court of Western Australia.
• Professor Fiona Stanley AC. Former Australian of the Year.
• The Honourable Ian Viner AO KC. Former Minister for Aboriginal Affairs and Industrial Relations and Leader of the Government in the House of Representatives. Former President of the WA and Australian Bar Associations and Deputy Chair of the Council for Aboriginal Reconciliation.
• Ted Wilkes AO. Former Director of the Derbarl Yerrigan Aboriginal Health Service in Perth and former Associate Professor and Co-team Leader of the Aboriginal Australian Research Program at Curtin University’s National Drug Research Institute.
• The Honourable Mary Ann Yeats AM. Former President of the Children’s Court of Western Australia and former Judge of the District Court of Western Australia.