Special guests for Rural Justice Conference
in Orange
Tuesday 23 Jun 2015
Special guests have been announced for the 3rd National Rural
Law and Justice Alliance Conference hosted by Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange on
Friday 3 and Saturday 4 July.
CSU Professor of Jurisprudence Steve Redhead said the conference program has been
finalised and he is delighted that The Hon. Chris Kourakis, Chief Justice of the Supreme
Court of South Australia, and Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO of the Australian Council of Social
Services (ACOSS), have accepted invitations to formally speak to participants.
"This is excellent news, as Justice Kourakis a very senior jurist and Dr Goldie a leading
social justice advocate," Professor Redhead said. "They are outstanding individuals with vast
experience, and they will provide participants with insights and challenges."
CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann will welcome participants to the conference
and introduce Justice Kourakis who will deliver the opening address.
Dr Goldie will deliver the address at the conference dinner on Friday 3 July, which local and
regional residents are welcome to attend.
Professor Redhead said Dr Goldie has been CEO of ACOSS since July 2010 and has
extensive public policy expertise in economic and social issues, civil society, social justice,
and human rights.
"Dr Goldie has represented the interests of civil society, and disadvantaged people, in major
national and international processes including most recently through the G20 as Deputy Chair
of the Civil Society20 and Chair of the Global Infrastructure Working Group (2014),"
Professor Redhead said.
"She has worked globally as a human rights advocate, including through the United Nations
Commission on the Status of Women and UN Habitat. She also has grassroots legal practice
experience both as a legal aid lawyer and as Director and Principal Solicitor of the Darwin
Community Legal Service in the Northern Territory, which won the National Human Rights
Award for Community Service during her leadership."
Prior to joining ACOSS, Dr Goldie was Director of the Sex and Age Discrimination program
at the Australian Human Rights Commission, where she played a central role in major gender
equality reforms, including Australia's first paid parental leave, reforms to sex discrimination
and pay equity, and Australian Stock Exchange corporate governance standards. She was also
a member of the Prime Minister's National Panel on Economic Reform (2013), the
Ministerial Roundtable on Superannuation (2012/13), and the National Tax Forum (2011).
Professor Redhead said after the conference dinner, the National Rural Law and Justice
Alliance Innovation in Rural Justice Awards will be presented. This will include the launch
of the inaugural Innovation in Rural Justice Awards 2015. The Awards are designed to
acknowledge excellent and innovative work that helps to promote better access to law and
justice for people in regional, rural and remote Australia, and have been established as a joint
initiative of Deakin University's Centre for Rural Regional Law and Justice and the National
Rural Law and Justice Alliance. The theme of the conference is 'Reframing Rurality: Driving
Innovation in Rural Justice'.