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C OUNCIL  NE WS                                                                        C OUNCIL  NE WS




 Honours 2024
                                                Retirement of JCH President,

                                                Archbishop Philip Freier
 Australia Day Honours  After several years with little time to   mentoring of Mahtab Fazl, a former   had a disability or were frail and needing
 woman judge from Afghanistan, who was
 pursue the intellectual side of things, I
            help and support at home. I joined Silver
 Member of the Order   started a part-time master’s degree in   part of a group evacuated to Australia   Circle, a community care program, doing
 of Australia (AM) in the   law by course work. Married, with a baby,   when the Taliban took over. It continues   just that and worked there for nineteen
 General Division   and with barely adequate childcare and   to be a great honour to introduce her to   years, the last eight as CEO. We grew and
 a partly finished degree making even   the Courts and help her re-establish her   provided home services to people across
 part-time practice impossible, I opted out   life and profession in Australia.   four states and two territories, including
 of legal practice and began lecturing in   a flexible aged care service on the Tiwi
 Legal Studies at Melbourne State College,   Islands. This was facilitated by acquiring
 which was later absorbed into Melbourne  King’s Birthday Honours   some services and also by being acquired
 University.  Medal of the Order of   by Calvary Health Care where I was
 During the following nine years of   Australia (OAM) in the   introduced to Catholic services and, in
            this instance, to the sisters of the Little
 lecturing, I had two more children,   General Division   Company of Mary.
 and sat as a sessional member on the
 Social Security Appeals Tribunal, later to   On leaving there, I approached the
 become part of the AAT.  Brigidine Asylum Seekers Project (BASP),
            initially as a volunteer, intending to wind
 From there I was appointed to the
 Magistrates’ Court, where for fifteen years   down a bit, but that didn’t last long. I
            have now been a full-time coordinator
 I sat in all jurisdictions. New legislation
 in 1986 had required magistrates to   there for ten years, working with Sr Brigid
            Arthur in supporting some of the most
 Her Honour Judge   be legally qualified, which opened the   vulnerable people in our community.
 door for women to be appointed, as the
 Wendy Anne Wilmoth AM   previous pathway of the Clerks’ service   Many of those who came to Australia
            by boat continue to live in limbo after
 (1968)   had in effect prevented this.   eleven and twelve years, appealing
 For significant service to the   The Magistrates’ Court was a newly   their visa rejection by a flawed process
 judiciary, and to the law.    progressive and collegiate institution.   and, in many cases, without having the
            right to work. Many, especially those
 Perhaps this was partly due to the
 rapid increase in the number of women   who were held offshore for years and
 A Judge’s reflection  appointed. Almost without exception we   then in hotel detention in Australia, are

 When I started as a Law/Arts student at   were welcomed and mentored, and many   Ms Elizabeth Kathleen   struggling mentally and physically. BASP
 Melbourne University some 50 years ago I   took on leadership roles.  assists these people as well as some of
 knew little about the courts. I knew that all   The same was true of the County Court,   Bobeff OAM (Libby   those who fly in and seek protection in
 judges and magistrates were men, indeed   to which I was appointed in 2003. My   Saunders 1968)   Australia. We provide housing to around   The Janet Clarke Hall community wishes to thank Archbishop Philip Freier and Joy
 nearly all positions of power everywhere   interest in both Courts was the ongoing   For service to community   160 people each month, pay rent and   Freier for their generous support of the College during his episcopacy.
 were occupied by men. I had no ambition   professional development of judicial   bills for another 100+ each month and   We have so appreciated the support, guidance, warmth, and kindness with which
 to join the judicial ranks. That happened   officers, initially not universally accepted   health, particularly asylum   have 100 volunteers assisting in a variety
 much later.  as being necessary, or indeed consistent   seekers.     of ways, but mostly providing friendship   Philip has performed his role as President of the College.

 As a first-year student in 1968 I was a   with judicial independence.  and social support to individuals and   His wise counsel has ensured that the College continues to be guided by its
            families.
 non-resident member of Janet Clark Hall.   But this changed and in 2005 the   I entered JCH in 1968 when men had   Anglican mission of fostering the intellectual, personal, and spiritual growth of
 I joined some tutorials at the College,   Judicial College of Victoria was   to leave the premises by 6pm and the   This work provides both hope and   promising young people, regardless of their socioeconomic background.
 but my main interest and enjoyment was   created. Thereafter opportunities   female freshers had to do a domestic   despair. The hope is from the goodwill of   Though today Janet Clarke Hall warmly welcomes students and staff of all faith
 being invited to join friends for lunch,   for keeping magistrates, judges and   science test, presumably to prepare them   so many in our community who provide   backgrounds, it is clear that the College’s longstanding commitment to offering
 which was a welcome change from the   tribunal members up to date with   for being a good hostess. Both practices   financial and personal support to enable   true equity of educational opportunity is in no small part the result of our
 caf in the Union Building. I made life-  changes in the law, different ways of   were dropped quite soon afterwards.  our work to proceed. The goodwill and   founding and development in the Anglican tradition.
 long friends from those days. I clearly   doing things, improved efficiency, and   I had three happy years at JCH as I did   courage of so many of the asylum seekers
 remember the JCH annual ball – and I still   general inspiration were in the hands   a BA/Dip Soc Studies course, which has   is also an inspiration. The despair is that   The College remains proud to be associated with a progressive Anglican church
 have a photo to prove that I was there.  of professionals. This was an enormous   subsequently taken me to a variety of   successive governments can continue   that values intellectual curiosity and academic rigour; that holds space for robust
 My Articles were with John Zigouras & Co,   saving of time for judicial officers, who   experiences I am so fortunate to have   to treat these people so cruelly over   yet respectful debate; that has supported female clerics to take up leadership
            such a lengthy period. BASP continues
 a middle-sized law firm offering a wide   previously had limited resources and   had.  to seek justice and a fairer system for   positions; and that is unafraid to take a principled and vocal stance on the
 range of experience, from which I gained   support.  Starting my social work career at the   people fleeing persecution and seeking   important issues of the day, including the Voice to Parliament and the climate
 an enormous benefit. I learned quickly   I retired in 2020, having reached the   Royal Melbourne Hospital, I was then   Australia’s protection. It is a privilege to   crisis.
 that the world of legal practice was far   mandatory age, but have continued   part of the early days of their Community   be a part of this work.   We look forward to working with the new Archbishop of Melbourne to ensure the
 removed from my academic experience,   sitting as a Reserve Judge. It is a great   Health Centre program, before taking up   flourishing of Janet Clarke Hall in the future, and to supporting the work of the
 and I had a lot of learning to do. I also   privilege to be able to do so.   the role as Senior Social Worker at the   Anglican Diocese of Melbourne within the community.
 discovered that a woman lawyer was not   Spastic Society.
 always the first choice of a traditional   For the past three years, as a member   Dr Eleanor Spencer-Regan
 male client, while female clients were   of the Australian Association of Women   These experiences highlighted a need for   Principal
 happy to engage me.  Judges, I have been helping with the   a more responsive service to people who

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