The Minds Count Foundation is pleased to announce the appointment of the Honourable Justice Stephen Burley and Desi Vlahos (both pictured) as its newest board directors.

Justice Burley and Ms Vlahos have been “avid supporters and friends” of Minds Count, and the foundation is “elated”, it said in a statement, to have them join the board.

The appointments follow the departure of Justice Jayne Jagot from the board, who was appointed to the High Court of Australia last year.

Justice Burley was appointed to the Federal Court of Australia in May 2016, having graduated from the University of Sydney in arts and law and being admitted as a legal practitioner in 1987.

His Honour was subsequently awarded a master of laws from the London School of Economics and Political Science in the United Kingdom. He was awarded an Associate in Music, Australia (AMusA) by the Australian Music Examinations Board in 1982.

Justice Burley practised at the bar from 5 Wentworth Chambers, Sydney, from 1993 until 2016, before being appointed senior counsel in 2007.

Ms Vlahos is an Australian lawyer and mentor of practical legal training at Leo Cussen Centre for Law, Victoria. She was admitted in 2005 and has practised in mid-tier, suburban and private firms and is a certified mental health first aid trainer.

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She also sat on the International Bar Association’s Wellbeing Taskforce and was recently appointed a commissioner on the newly established IBA Professional Wellbeing Commission.

Speaking about the foundation’s newest board members, Minds Count chair Melinda Upton said: “On behalf of the board, I am thrilled to welcome Justice Burley and Ms Vlahos as directors of Minds Count. Their respective expertise and passion for addressing and speaking openly about psychological health and wellbeing is an invaluable asset to the board.

“Prevention awareness is as important as cure and continues to be a key focus of the board objectives in 2023 and beyond.

“It is also with recognition and gratitude we farewell from the board, the Honourable Justice Jayne Jagot and thank Her Honour for her contribution and involvement, particularly with respect to the creation of the TJMF Guidelines but also for her ongoing engagement with the rule of law and access to justice in this country.”

Founded in 2006, under the name Tristan Jepson Memorial Foundation, Minds Count is the leading not-for-profit organisation raising awareness of and advocating best practice to combat the prevalence, causes and effects of psychological distress, anxiety, depression and suicide in Australia’s legal profession.