KEYNOTE: Helen Versey, Victorian Privacy Commissioner 2007-2012 and acting principal lawyer at the Mental Health Legal Centre

PLANET: Corporate environmental responsibility
David Ritter, Greenpeace Australia
Cam Walker, Friends of the Earth
Presentation by International Fund for Animal Welfare

PROJECT: Building grassroots social justice programs
Bob Brown, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Roger Antochi and Melissa Hardham, Second Step Program
Denis Nelthorpe, Taxi Driver Legal Clinic

PEOPLE: Gene patenting – our rights to our bodies
Rebecca Gilsenan, Maurice Blackburn
Luigi Palombi, Genetic Sequence Rights Project at Australian National University
Gerda Evans, Breast Cancer Network Australia

With very special thanks to our sponsors:

Australian Green Victoria

Patrick Carroll, Patrick Carroll Design

Paul McLeod, Cybersphere

___________

KEYNOTE: Helen Versey, Victorian Privacy Commissioner 2007-2012 and acting principal lawyer at the Mental Health Legal Centre

Helen Versey was the second Victorian Privacy Commissioner, her five-year term running from 2007-2012. She worked in the Office of the Victorian Privacy Commissioner as Deputy Commissioner from 2001 from the time the Office was established.

Prior to joining the Commission, Helen worked at the Western Australian Equal Opportunity Commission as Senior Lawyer and from time to time Acting Commissioner. Helen also worked in private practice in Perth, Darwin and the UK.

At present Helen is the Principal Lawyer at the Mental Health Law Centre.

__________

PLANET PANEL

David Ritter - Chief Executive Officer, Greenpeace Australia Pacific

Chief Executive Officer, Greenpeace Australia Pacific

David was born in Perth, WA in 1971, growing up and going to school in the local foothills. He studied arts and law at the University of WA, graduating with honours in both. In 1995 David was appointed Associate to his Honour Justice Robert French, then Justice of the Federal Court of Australia. In 1999 David was recruited to the position of Principal Legal Officer of the Yamatji Marlpa Land Council.  In a successful tenure of exactly 2200 days, David had overall carriage of some of the most significant cases and negotiations in the native title system.

In late 2007, David moved to London and joined the campaign staff of Greenpeace UK where he worked on issues related to destructive and over-fishing, deforestation of the world’s rainforests and climate change.  In 2012, David returned to Australia to become CEO of Greenpeace Australia Pacific. Highly active in social democratic politics in both Australia and the United Kingdom, David was the Australian Labor Party’s Federal Parliamentary candidate for the safe Liberal seat of Pearce in the election of 2004.  David is married to Frances Flanagan.  They live in Sydney and have two daughters.

Isabel McRae – Ocean Director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare

Isabel leads her team in campaigning against whaling and illegal wildlife trade and for the protection of animals and their habitats.  Isabel received her Bachelor degree in Psychology and Sociology from Stirling University, UK.  Isabel has worked with a number of different Australian and international organisations, including the World Bank, the White Ribbon Foundation and Greenpeace International.

Founded in 1969, the IFAW saves individual animals, animal populations and habitats all over the world. With projects in more than 40 countries, IFAW provides hands-on assistance to animals in need, whether it’s dogs and cats, wildlife and livestock, or rescuing animals in the wake of disasters.  Within Australia the IFAW Oceania team is working to protect critical tropical marine wildlife habitat in the northwest from the effects of exploration and drilling for oil and gas. Rescuing wild and domestic animals from both natural and manmade disasters is another important aspect of the Oceania office’s work. In the Pacific, the team is involved in training frontline customs officers in wildlife trade enforcement.

Cam Walker - Campaigns Co-ordinator, Friends of the Earth

Cam has worked with Friends of the Earth (FoE) since 1989 as the campaigns co-ordinator and has been involved in many environmental and social justice campaigns during this time from the local to national level.

He helps represent the organisation at the national level, working with government, industry, unions, Indigenous and community organisations. He spent six years on the Executive Committee of Friends of the Earth International. During this time, Cam attended many meetings of international conventions and treaties (mostly on the issues of climate change, ozone depletion, the Commission for Sustainable Development and Biodiversity) and travelled and worked extensively with NGOs and local communities in Latin America, Europe and, most recently Africa.

_________________

PROJECT

Bob Brown – Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

Bob Brown was born and educated in rural NSW and worked as a doctor before becoming the face of the campaign to save the Franklin River in 1982.

He was elected to the Tasmanian state parliament in 1982 and during his ten-year tenure most notably achieved gun law reform, gay law reform and the expansion of the Tasmanian World Heritage Area.

In 1996 Bob was elected to the Senate, where he led the national debate for 16 years on issues including climate change, water, preventative healthcare, conservation, and human rights.

Bob resigned from the Senate in June 2012 to establish the Bob Brown Foundation, a not for profit organisation dedicated to supporting environmental campaigns and green causes in Australia and our region.  He is a published author and acclaimed photographer.

Roger Antochi - National Coordinator, Toll Group’s Second Step program

Roger is a qualified Alcohol and other Drugs/Mental Health worker and is also a qualified Community Welfare worker.

Toll Group’s Second Step program provides career pathways for people who have been incarcerated and/or have had addiction problems. Roger’s involvement with the program began as a participant, having experienced his own difficulties with homelessness, addiction and imprisonment.

As well as working full-time for the Toll Group in this unique role he also lectures on a part-time basis in the Community Health and Welfare Studies sector.

Roger is an active volunteer for a number of charitable organisations assisting with fundraising and acting as a mentor to disadvantaged youth in the community.

On a personal note Roger enjoys his fitness with a special interest in coaching boxing and presents motivational talks to school groups and disadvantaged, at-risk youth.

Melissa Hardham - Board Director, First Step Program

Melissa Hardham commenced her career as a criminal lawyer in 1995. From 1996 Melissa worked as in in-house advocate at the Office of David Grace QC predominately in the appellate jurisdictions. In 2000 she was tasked with the implementation and operation of a pro bono human rights and anti-discrimination legal service within a disability support program, DEAC.

In 2003 Melissa returned to the Office of David Grace QC for a further 5 years until she resigned in 2008 to focus on the implementation and operation of the First Step Legal Service, a pro bono criminal law service, within the First Step Program.

In 2011 she worked with Noel Pearson at Cape York Partnerships to advise on the adaption and implementation of the First Step Program and the Toll Second Step Program.

In addition to her role with the First Step Program, Melissa currently holds the role of Indigenous Engagement Manager with the Toll Group. She is also Director of the First Step Legal Service. Further, Melissa is a member of the Australian Advocacy Health Alliance Steering Committee.

Professor Denis Nelthorpe, AM

Denis is a special projects lawyer with Victoria Legal Aid and Manager of Footscray and Wyndham Legal Centres. He is a consumer Board member of the Financial Ombudsman Service and was recently appointed an Adjunct Professor of Law for the Victoria University Law School.

He is a past president of the Consumers’ Federation of Australia and a past Chief Executive Officer of the Consumer Credit Legal Service 1986-91 and the Consumer Law Centre Victoria 1993-98.

Denis has been involved in the work of community legal centres for more than 30 years and remains passionate about the need for justice for low income and disadvantaged members of the community.

Matthew Albert, found of the Sudanese Australian Integrated Learning program (SAIL)

Matthew Albert is the co-founder of the Sudanese Australian Integrated Learning program (SAIL). The program is a volunteer, non-profit, secular organisation that provides free English support & community services to the Sudanese refugee community. This is predominantly in the form of one-on-one volunteer tutoring provided to Australian-Sudanese students aged from one to 40 years old! After humble beginnings with five students, SAIL recently celebrated its 11^th birthday, with over 500 students in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.

Matthew completed his postgraduate degree in international refugee law at the University of Oxford, for which he received the highest mark ever awarded for the course.

Matthew completed articles and then worked in the Victorian Government Solicitors’ Office until 2007. He instructed in matters before the High Court of Australia. Matthew has acted as legal researcher, judge’s associate, and university research staff.

Matthew is a member of the Victorian bar and has practiced commercial and public law since 2005. In 2012 he acted for the plaintiffs in the Malaysia Solution case and the Commonwealth in the Ashby v Slipper case.

______________

PEOPLE

Gerda Evans – Breast Cancer Network Australia

Gerda and three of her sisters, an aunt and cousin have had breast cancer.  Gerda has represented Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) on research committees dealing with high risk families. She has a keen interest in the issues of gene patents and will be able to speak  from her personal experience and as a representative of BCNA.

Luigi Palombi - Genetic Sequence Rights Project at Australian National University

Luigi Palombi is one of Australia’s most respected and well-known patent law experts. His first major patent case was the first in Australian legal history to challenge the gene patent granted to Chiron Corporation over the hepatitis C virus. This success produced invitations to work in Europe where he was involved in successfully invalidating most of the Chiron’s HCV patent. Luigi returned to Australia in 2001to participate in the Australia Law Reform Commission’s review of gene patents and undertook a PhD at the UNSW in which he set out the legal arguments against the patentability of genes – a world first. Luigi then became a post-doctoral researcher at The Regulatory Institutes Network at ANU. Luigi played a major role in the first BRCA patent test case brought in Australia against the BRCA 1 patent and in 2011 he was recognised as one of 50 of the world’s most influential people in intellectual property. His book, Gene Cartels, first published in 2009 has been widely acclaimed. He has also made significant contributions to the first patent challenge to the BRCA patents in the United States. Luigi has also served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Sydney and has delivered many invited papers and lectures in patent law at international legal and scientific conferences and meetings.

Rebecca Gilsenan – Maurice Blackburn

Rebecca is a Principal at law firm Maurice Blackburn where her practice focuses on class actions in the areas of price fixing, failed investment schemes and product liability. Rebecca also acts for Greenpeace Australia Pacific Limited and is on the boards of Guthrie House and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre.

Rebecca has also been a contributor on legal matters with various media outlets.  In 2011, Rebecca was a weekly contributor and blogger with The Daily Telegraph newspaper. In 2012, Rebecca was a weekly contributor to Network Ten’s national morning television program Breakfast as their weekly expert on legal matters.

Bob Brown will be speaking about social justice projects and our Conference this Wed at 10.30am on RRR 102.7 in Melbourne! Support Community Radio Day with your ears! Visit: http://committocommunityradio.org.au/about/

If you’re wanting to attend the PLN Conference this Friday 15 March 2013 – make sure you buy your ticket ASAP! 

KEYNOTE: Helen Versey, Victorian Privacy Commissioner 2007-2012 and acting principal lawyer at the Mental Health Legal Centre

PLANET: Corporate environmental responsibility
David Ritter, Greenpeace Australia
Cam Walker, Friends of the Earth
Presentation by International Fund for Animal Welfare

PROJECT: Building grassroots social justice programs
Bob Brown, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Roger Antochi and Melissa Hardham, Second Step Program
Denis Nelthorpe, Taxi Driver Legal Clinic

PEOPLE: Gene patenting – our rights to our bodies
Rebecca Gilsenan, Maurice Blackburn
Luigi Palombi, Genetic Sequence Rights Project at Australian National University
Gerda Evans, Breast Cancer Network Australia

With very special thanks to our sponsors:

Australian Green Victoria

Patrick Carroll, Patrick Carroll Design

Paul McLeod, Cybersphere

___________

KEYNOTE: Helen Versey, Victorian Privacy Commissioner 2007-2012 and acting principal lawyer at the Mental Health Legal Centre

Helen Versey was the second Victorian Privacy Commissioner, her five-year term running from 2007-2012. She worked in the Office of the Victorian Privacy Commissioner as Deputy Commissioner from 2001 from the time the Office was established.

Prior to joining the Commission, Helen worked at the Western Australian Equal Opportunity Commission as Senior Lawyer and from time to time Acting Commissioner. Helen also worked in private practice in Perth, Darwin and the UK.

At present Helen is the Principal Lawyer at the Mental Health Law Centre.

__________

PLANET PANEL

David Ritter - Chief Executive Officer, Greenpeace Australia Pacific

Chief Executive Officer, Greenpeace Australia Pacific

David was born in Perth, WA in 1971, growing up and going to school in the local foothills. He studied arts and law at the University of WA, graduating with honours in both. In 1995 David was appointed Associate to his Honour Justice Robert French, then Justice of the Federal Court of Australia. In 1999 David was recruited to the position of Principal Legal Officer of the Yamatji Marlpa Land Council.  In a successful tenure of exactly 2200 days, David had overall carriage of some of the most significant cases and negotiations in the native title system.

In late 2007, David moved to London and joined the campaign staff of Greenpeace UK where he worked on issues related to destructive and over-fishing, deforestation of the world’s rainforests and climate change.  In 2012, David returned to Australia to become CEO of Greenpeace Australia Pacific. Highly active in social democratic politics in both Australia and the United Kingdom, David was the Australian Labor Party’s Federal Parliamentary candidate for the safe Liberal seat of Pearce in the election of 2004.  David is married to Frances Flanagan.  They live in Sydney and have two daughters.

Isabel McRae – Ocean Director of the International Fund for Animal Welfare

Isabel leads her team in campaigning against whaling and illegal wildlife trade and for the protection of animals and their habitats.  Isabel received her Bachelor degree in Psychology and Sociology from Stirling University, UK.  Isabel has worked with a number of different Australian and international organisations, including the World Bank, the White Ribbon Foundation and Greenpeace International.

Founded in 1969, the IFAW saves individual animals, animal populations and habitats all over the world. With projects in more than 40 countries, IFAW provides hands-on assistance to animals in need, whether it’s dogs and cats, wildlife and livestock, or rescuing animals in the wake of disasters.  Within Australia the IFAW Oceania team is working to protect critical tropical marine wildlife habitat in the northwest from the effects of exploration and drilling for oil and gas. Rescuing wild and domestic animals from both natural and manmade disasters is another important aspect of the Oceania office’s work. In the Pacific, the team is involved in training frontline customs officers in wildlife trade enforcement.

Cam Walker - Campaigns Co-ordinator, Friends of the Earth

Cam has worked with Friends of the Earth (FoE) since 1989 as the campaigns co-ordinator and has been involved in many environmental and social justice campaigns during this time from the local to national level.

He helps represent the organisation at the national level, working with government, industry, unions, Indigenous and community organisations. He spent six years on the Executive Committee of Friends of the Earth International. During this time, Cam attended many meetings of international conventions and treaties (mostly on the issues of climate change, ozone depletion, the Commission for Sustainable Development and Biodiversity) and travelled and worked extensively with NGOs and local communities in Latin America, Europe and, most recently Africa.

_________________

PROJECT

Bob Brown – Sea Shepherd Conservation Society

Bob Brown was born and educated in rural NSW and worked as a doctor before becoming the face of the campaign to save the Franklin River in 1982.

He was elected to the Tasmanian state parliament in 1982 and during his ten-year tenure most notably achieved gun law reform, gay law reform and the expansion of the Tasmanian World Heritage Area.

In 1996 Bob was elected to the Senate, where he led the national debate for 16 years on issues including climate change, water, preventative healthcare, conservation, and human rights.

Bob resigned from the Senate in June 2012 to establish the Bob Brown Foundation, a not for profit organisation dedicated to supporting environmental campaigns and green causes in Australia and our region.  He is a published author and acclaimed photographer.

Roger Antochi - National Coordinator, Toll Group’s Second Step program

Roger is a qualified Alcohol and other Drugs/Mental Health worker and is also a qualified Community Welfare worker.

Toll Group’s Second Step program provides career pathways for people who have been incarcerated and/or have had addiction problems. Roger’s involvement with the program began as a participant, having experienced his own difficulties with homelessness, addiction and imprisonment.

As well as working full-time for the Toll Group in this unique role he also lectures on a part-time basis in the Community Health and Welfare Studies sector.

Roger is an active volunteer for a number of charitable organisations assisting with fundraising and acting as a mentor to disadvantaged youth in the community.

On a personal note Roger enjoys his fitness with a special interest in coaching boxing and presents motivational talks to school groups and disadvantaged, at-risk youth.

Melissa Hardham - Board Director, First Step Program

Melissa Hardham commenced her career as a criminal lawyer in 1995. From 1996 Melissa worked as in in-house advocate at the Office of David Grace QC predominately in the appellate jurisdictions. In 2000 she was tasked with the implementation and operation of a pro bono human rights and anti-discrimination legal service within a disability support program, DEAC.

In 2003 Melissa returned to the Office of David Grace QC for a further 5 years until she resigned in 2008 to focus on the implementation and operation of the First Step Legal Service, a pro bono criminal law service, within the First Step Program.

In 2011 she worked with Noel Pearson at Cape York Partnerships to advise on the adaption and implementation of the First Step Program and the Toll Second Step Program.

In addition to her role with the First Step Program, Melissa currently holds the role of Indigenous Engagement Manager with the Toll Group. She is also Director of the First Step Legal Service. Further, Melissa is a member of the Australian Advocacy Health Alliance Steering Committee.

Professor Denis Nelthorpe, AM

Denis is a special projects lawyer with Victoria Legal Aid and Manager of Footscray and Wyndham Legal Centres. He is a consumer Board member of the Financial Ombudsman Service and was recently appointed an Adjunct Professor of Law for the Victoria University Law School.

He is a past president of the Consumers’ Federation of Australia and a past Chief Executive Officer of the Consumer Credit Legal Service 1986-91 and the Consumer Law Centre Victoria 1993-98.

Denis has been involved in the work of community legal centres for more than 30 years and remains passionate about the need for justice for low income and disadvantaged members of the community.

Matthew Albert, found of the Sudanese Australian Integrated Learning program (SAIL)

Matthew Albert is the co-founder of the Sudanese Australian Integrated Learning program (SAIL). The program is a volunteer, non-profit, secular organisation that provides free English support & community services to the Sudanese refugee community. This is predominantly in the form of one-on-one volunteer tutoring provided to Australian-Sudanese students aged from one to 40 years old! After humble beginnings with five students, SAIL recently celebrated its 11^th birthday, with over 500 students in Melbourne, Sydney and Perth.

Matthew completed his postgraduate degree in international refugee law at the University of Oxford, for which he received the highest mark ever awarded for the course.

Matthew completed articles and then worked in the Victorian Government Solicitors’ Office until 2007. He instructed in matters before the High Court of Australia. Matthew has acted as legal researcher, judge’s associate, and university research staff.

Matthew is a member of the Victorian bar and has practiced commercial and public law since 2005. In 2012 he acted for the plaintiffs in the Malaysia Solution case and the Commonwealth in the Ashby v Slipper case.

______________

PEOPLE

Gerda Evans – Breast Cancer Network Australia

Gerda and three of her sisters, an aunt and cousin have had breast cancer.  Gerda has represented Breast Cancer Network Australia (BCNA) on research committees dealing with high risk families. She has a keen interest in the issues of gene patents and will be able to speak  from her personal experience and as a representative of BCNA.

Luigi Palombi - Genetic Sequence Rights Project at Australian National University

Luigi Palombi is one of Australia’s most respected and well-known patent law experts. His first major patent case was the first in Australian legal history to challenge the gene patent granted to Chiron Corporation over the hepatitis C virus. This success produced invitations to work in Europe where he was involved in successfully invalidating most of the Chiron’s HCV patent. Luigi returned to Australia in 2001to participate in the Australia Law Reform Commission’s review of gene patents and undertook a PhD at the UNSW in which he set out the legal arguments against the patentability of genes – a world first. Luigi then became a post-doctoral researcher at The Regulatory Institutes Network at ANU. Luigi played a major role in the first BRCA patent test case brought in Australia against the BRCA 1 patent and in 2011 he was recognised as one of 50 of the world’s most influential people in intellectual property. His book, Gene Cartels, first published in 2009 has been widely acclaimed. He has also made significant contributions to the first patent challenge to the BRCA patents in the United States. Luigi has also served as an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Sydney and has delivered many invited papers and lectures in patent law at international legal and scientific conferences and meetings.

Rebecca Gilsenan – Maurice Blackburn

Rebecca is a Principal at law firm Maurice Blackburn where her practice focuses on class actions in the areas of price fixing, failed investment schemes and product liability. Rebecca also acts for Greenpeace Australia Pacific Limited and is on the boards of Guthrie House and the Public Interest Advocacy Centre.

Rebecca has also been a contributor on legal matters with various media outlets.  In 2011, Rebecca was a weekly contributor and blogger with The Daily Telegraph newspaper. In 2012, Rebecca was a weekly contributor to Network Ten’s national morning television program Breakfast as their weekly expert on legal matters.

The Legal (r)Evolution Conference is fast approaching! Make sure you set aside Friday 15 March 2013 and buy your tickets!

This years conference is about People. Planet. Project.

Our People Panel will discuss Gene Patenting, the Planet Panel will look into Corporate Environmental Responsibility, and our Project Panel will focus on Building Grassroots Social Justice Programs.

Confirmed Speakers:

KEYNOTE: Helen Versey, Victorian Privacy Commissioner 2007-2012 and acting principal lawyer at the Mental Health Legal Centre

PLANET: Corporate environmental responsibility
David Ritter, Greenpeace Australia
Cam Walker, Friends of the Earth
Presentation by International Fund for Animal Welfare

PROJECT: Building grassroots social justice programs
Bob Brown, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Roger Antochi and Melissa Hardham, Second Step Program
Denis Nelthorpe, Taxi Driver Legal Clinic

PEOPLE: Gene patenting – our rights to our bodies
Rebecca Gilsenan, Maurice Blackburn
Luigi Palombi, Genetic Sequence Rights Project at Australian National University
Gerda Evans, Breast Cancer Network Australia

PDF: Public Interest Careers Guide Research Assistant Position Description

Position Description

The Victorian Law Foundation has awarded the Castan Centre for Human Rights Law, in collaboration with the Progressive Law Network, a grant to develop and publish a public interest law careers guide for Victorian law students and lawyers.

In order to produce the Guide, two paid Research Assistant positions will be available.

This is a casual role. You must be available between March and August 2013 for approximately four (4) hours per week during business hours at Monash University, Clayton campus.

Key Selection Criteria

• Excellent research skills, particularly internet research skills

• Excellent telephone interviewing skills

• Excellent confident telephone manner

• Demonstrated interest in public interest legal work in Victoria

• Punctual and reliable

Please direct all enquiries about the position to Penelope Swales, Careers Officer, at progressivelawnetwork@gmail.com

To apply, please send a CV and cover letter addressing the key selection criteria to Andre Dao at andre.dao@monash.edu by 24 February 2013.

The PLN is very pleased to announce some of the speakers for our annual conference planned for Friday 15 March 2013!! The PLN would like to extend a warm thank you to all of our speakers for their generous support. More speakers and details will be posted soon!

This years conference is about People. Planet. Project.

Our People Panel will discuss Gene Patenting, the Planet Panel will look into Corporate Environmental Responsibility, and our Project Panel will focus on Building Grassroots Social Justice Programs.

Confirmed Speakers:

KEYNOTE: Helen Versey, Victorian Privacy Commissioner 2007-2012 and acting principal lawyer at the Mental Health Legal Centre

PLANET: Corporate environmental responsibility
David Ritter, Greenpeace Australia
Cam Walker, Friends of the Earth
Presentation by International Fund for Animal Welfare

PROJECT: Building grassroots social justice programs
Bob Brown, Sea Shepherd Conservation Society
Roger Antochi and Melissa Hardham, Second Step Program
Denis Nelthorpe, Taxi Driver Legal Clinic

PEOPLE: Gene patenting – our rights to our bodies
Rebecca Gilsenan, Maurice Blackburn
Luigi Palombi, Genetic Sequence Rights Project at Australian National University
Gerda Evans, Breast Cancer Network Australia