Respected judge the Hon. Anthony North to lead the Victorian Law Reform Commission

The Andrews Labor Government has today announced the appointment of former Justice the Hon. Anthony North as the Chairperson of the Victorian Law Reform Commission.

Mr North has had a distinguished career in law that spans more than four decades. He was admitted to practice in 1973 and was appointed Queen’s Counsel in 1989. He practised as a barrister at the Victorian Bar until 1995.

In 1995, Mr North was made a judge of the Federal Court of Australia, where he served until his retirement in 2018. He was an additional judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory from 2004 to 2018.

Over his time as a judge, Mr North presided over cases that involved constitutional and commercial law, industrial and employment law, taxation, intellectual property and native title.

Mr North has a strong interest in legal education and has taught, mentored and worked with law students, including holding moot trials at universities.

He holds a Master of Laws from the University of London, and a Bachelor of Laws (Honours) and a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Melbourne.

Mr North replaces Bruce Gardner who was appointed as the Acting Chairperson of the commission in March 2019 following the death of Philip Cummins.

Mr Cummins made a significant contribution to the commission in his time as Chairperson, including in the areas of victims’ rights, jury empanelment and medicinal cannabis.

As stated by Attorney-General Jill Hennessy:

“Mr North has had a long and distinguished career as a Queen’s Counsel and as a Judge of the Federal Court, which makes him the best candidate to lead the Victorian Law Reform Commission.”

“The Victorian Law Reform Commission makes a significant contribution to developing a fair, just, and inclusive legal system for all Victorians, something Mr North has done in his 40 years in the justice system.”

“I also want to thank Bruce Gardner for his dedication and service to the commission and pay respect to Philip Cummins who made a significant contribution to the legal landscape in Victoria.”