Former ACT magistrate Lisbeth Campbell has come out of retirement to chair the ACT Government’s new Law Reform and Sentencing Advisory Council (LRSAC).
The new body will advise government on law reform, including reviewing the bail system for recidivists and sentencing for dangerous driving.
“This data is often quite complex,” Attorney-General Shane Rattenbury said. “Having an expert group sit and look at it and provide a perspective will be very valuable for both the government’s understanding of these issues and also in informing community debate on these questions.”
The 13-member council, whose members come from the justice sector, academia, and the community, will meet for the first time next month.
“I am genuinely delighted to accept the position as inaugural Chair of the Council,” Mrs Campbell said. “It provides an opportunity for me to continue to be involved in the justice system of which I have been a part for 25 years.”
Mrs Campbell retired in March after serving as an ACT magistrate for 25 years.
“Our decisions and recommendations will be grounded in a thorough and unbiased evaluation of the pertinent issues based on sound evidence and analysis,” Mrs Campbell continued. “It’s important to emphasise that our work will be uninfluenced by political or extraneous considerations and, in my case, by any immutable predetermined views.
“I am confident, bearing in mind our diverse backgrounds and community connections, that the Council’s decisions will be informed by a comprehensive understanding of general concerns in relation to individual issues.
“Where there is a gap in that understanding, I will ensure that there are opportunities for interested parties to make submissions to the Council and to speak to their submissions at public hearings I will hold next year.”
“It’s my hope that, by building a reputation for timeliness and expertise as well as for its commitment to impartiality and objectivity, the Council can establish itself as a respected source of advice on law reform in the ACT.”
The other members from the public recruitment process are:
- Dr John Boersig, Legal Aid ACT CEO, (legal assistance sector member)
- Joanne Chivers (First Nations community member)
- Dr Janet Hope, University of Canberra (academic member)
- Nadine Miles, Aboriginal Legal Service (juvenile justice member)
- Shobha Varkey (community member)
- Heidi Yates, Victims of Crime Commissioner (victims of crimes advocacy member)
Also serving as representatives of their office are:
- Bruno Aloisi, Acting ACT Corrective Services Commissioner
- Tim Dingwall, ACT Law Society representative
- Neil Gaughan, ACT Chief Police Officer
- Keegan Lee, ACT Bar Association representative
- Dr Penelope Mathew, President of the ACT Human Rights Commission
- Anthony Williamson SC, Acting ACT Director of Public Prosecutions.
