ALHR Newsletter

The Annual General Meeting of ALHR occurred on Wednesday, 24 March with an impressive collection of participants huddled round telephones around the country.

The Meeting carried a tinge of sadness as long standing National Committee members and, most recently, President, in the case of Sue Harris-Rimmer and Secretary, in the case Carla Klease, stood down from their positions and the Committee.

The Meeting also farewelled long standing Committee members, Craig Lenehan, Jess Casben, Belinda Barnard, May Brady and Lizzie Simpson. Craig deserves particular mention as he has served on the Committee for over a decade.

The Meeting elected Natasha Case of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre in Sydneyto replace Carla as Secretary. I was honoured to be given the chance to try to fill the very big shoes of Sue as President. For those whom I have not met, I am a barrister who has practised at the Bar in Queensland for two and a half decades. My practice, which tends to be varied, has had the odd case which could be seen to have human rights implications.

My interest in human rights has, otherwise, been exercised in a variety of ways in the past including as President of the Queensland Council for Civil Liberties in the early 1990s and as President of the Legal Aid Commission Queensland later in the nineties. I hope I can follow in the footsteps of previous distinguished Presidents and help the membership of ALHR to make a worthwhile contribution to the debate on human rights issues in whatever form that debate takes.

The full list of the new Committee with our positions is set out below.

I wish to pay tribute to the magnificent work that Sue and Carla and the other retiring members of the Committee have done over many years. Carla has asked me to extend particular thanks to Mieke Dixon (who filled in for her as secretary while Carla was in ?baby hibernation?) and Jess (for taking charge when Sue and Carla announced that they would be standing down).

We will strive, with your assistance, to build on their work. 

List of Committee Members

Natasha Case: Secretary

Arjuna Dibley: Ordinary Member

Anna Haynes: ACT Convenor

Stephen Keim: President

Mary Anne Kenny: Ordinary Member

Laura Grenfell: SA Convenor

Eve Lester: Treasurer

Mandy Lister: Vic Convenor 

Edwina McDonald: NSW Convenor

Adam McLean: Ordinary Member

Gayatri Nair: ACT Convenor

Jamie Nuich: QLD Convenor

Riley Power: Ordinary Member

Elena Rose: Ordinary Member

Lily Tsen: Vic Convenor 

Linda Tucker: NSW Convenor

Matthew Zagor: Ordinary Member

Stephen Keim

Chambers

29 March 2010