Australian Capital Territory
Legal Aid (Review Committee Panels) Appointment 2018 (No 2)
Disallowable instrument DI2018-174
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 the 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 Ms Danielle Hyndes, Ms Ellnor Grassby, Mr James Crosby, Ms Natasha Tioukavkin, Mr Nicholas Simoes da Silva, Ms Purity Goj, Ms Rae Harvey and Ms Therese Findlay as part-time members of the community panel for the period of three years. 

Each person appointed 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 Bar Association panel must be a private legal practitioner nominated by the council of the Bar Association. 

The instrument appoints Mr James Haddock as a part-time member of the Bar Association panel for the period of three years. Mr James Haddock is a private legal practitioner nominated by the council of the Bar Association.

None of the appointees are ACT public servants. 

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 considered and noted the proposed appointments and had no recommendation or comment to make in relation to the appointments.