Matthew Myers (judge)

His Honour
Matthew Myers
AM
Personal details
Born1970 (age 54–55)
Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
NationalityIndigenous Australian
Alma materUniversity of New South Wales, The College of Law Australia, Bond University
OccupationJudge; Judicial officer
Known forCommissioner Australian Law Reform Commission, ADJ Professor of Law UNSW., Australian Reconciliation

Matthew David Myers AM (born 10 November 1970) is a judge of the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia and an adjunct professor at the Faculty of Law, University of New South Wales. He is the first Aboriginal Australian to have been appointed as a federal court judge.[1]

Early life and education

Myers was born on 10 November 1970. He grew up in La Perouse located in Sydney's south and later moved with his family to French's Forest, where he attended Forest High School (Sydney). Myers developed an interest in law at an early age after witnessing an event in which a lawyer intervened between citizens of Eveleigh Street and the police.[2]

Career

In 2015, Myers was criticised in the press for performing his own research and imposing his personal views in a decision.[3] In February 2017 he was appointed as an Australian Law Reform Commission Commissioner to lead the inquiry into Incarceration rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Myers is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law.[4]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Meet the Mob: Judge Matthew Myers - ABC (None) - Australian Broadcasting Corporation". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  2. ^ "Podcast: Indigenous Incarceration Inquiry - Meet the Commissioner". Australian Law Reform Commission.
  3. ^ "Ban on breastfeeding overturned: Judge Matthew Myers criticised for imposing own views". 19 June 2015.
  4. ^ Manager, Web (1 December 2016). "Incarceration rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples". www.alrc.gov.au. Retrieved 15 March 2017.