The Albanese government has appointed Federal Court judge, failed Labor preselection candidate, and former St Kilda footballer Justice Mordecai Bromberg as President of the Australian Law Reform Commission.
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Justice Bromberg has served on the Federal Court of Australia since 2009, and contested preselection for the safe seat of Burke in Melbourne's outer northern suburbs following the retirement of Neil O'Keefe in 2001.
He was ultimately unsuccessful, losing the preselection battle to current Labor MP Brendan O'Connor.
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Since joining the Federal Court, Justice Bromberg has presided over several high profile cases, including the 2011 Eatock v Bolt, in which he found commentator Andrew Bolt had contravened section 18 (c) of the Racial Discrimination Act with two articles about "fair-skinned Aborigines".
"People should be free to fully identify with their race without fear of public disdain or loss of esteem for so identifying," Justice Bromberg said in his judgement at the time.
He was also responsible for the decision that former federal environment minister Sussan Ley had a duty of care to protect young people from the climate crisis when assessing fossil fuel developments; a decision overturned on appeal.
Announcing the appointment on Tuesday, Attorney General Mark Dreyfus said Justice Bromberg's position on the Law Reform Commission follows a merit-based process.
He will commence a five-year term in the role on July 10, 2023.
Justine Landis-Hanley
I'm a federal politics and public sector reporter at The Canberra Times, with an interest in integrity, regulation, and social services. Contact me with tips and feedback at justine.landishanley@canberratimes.com.au.
I'm a federal politics and public sector reporter at The Canberra Times, with an interest in integrity, regulation, and social services. Contact me with tips and feedback at justine.landishanley@canberratimes.com.au.
