Australian Capital Territory
Legal Aid (Review Committee Panels) Appointment 2018
Disallowable instrument DI2018–2
made under the 
Legal Aid Act 1977, s 37 (Establishment and constitution of review committees)
EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

Section 37 of the Legal Aid Act 1977 (the Act) provides for the establishment of review committees. The function of review committees is to review decisions about applications for and the provision of legal assistance under section 36(1) of the Act referred to the committee under section 36(5) of the Act. 

Section 37(2) of the Act provides that the review committees shall consist of a person from panel under section 37(3) (the Bar Association panel), a person from the panel under section 37(4) (the Law Society panel) and a person from the panel under section 37(5) (the community panel) chosen by the chief executive officer. 

Each review committee panel is made up of not more than 14 members approved by the Minister.

Members of the community panel must not be a legal practitioner, a member of the commission or an officer of the commission and must have qualifications or experience relevant to the exercise of the function of a review committee. 

This instrument appoints Mrs Julie Hannah as part-time member of the community panel for the period of three years. 

Mrs Hannah is not a legal practitioner, a member of the commission or an officer of the commission and has experience relevant to the function of a review committee. 

Members of the Law Society panel must be an Australian legal practitioner nominated by the council of the Law Society. 

This instrument appoints Ms Briony Martin as a part-time member of the Law Society panel for the period of three years.
Ms Martin is an Australian legal practitioner who was nominated by the council of the Law Society. 

Members of the Bar Association panel must be a private legal practitioner nominated by the council of the Bar Association. 

The instrument appoints Mr Dominic Mulligan, Ms Katrina Cosgrove, Mr Seyi Onitiri, Ms Rebecca Curran and Mr Timothy Crispin as part-time members of the Bar Association panel for the period of three years. Each person appointed is a private legal practitioner nominated by the council of the Bar Association.

Under section 228 of the Legislation Act 2001, this appointment required consultation with the Standing Committee on Justice and Community Safety. The Committee advised that it had no recommendations to make.