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Australia’s first female president of a Court of Appeal has been tapped to lead a major sentencing review.
Justice Karin Emerton has been appointed chairperson of the board of the Sentencing Advisory Council as part of the Victorian Labor government’s commitment to “rewriting” sentencing laws.
It will be the first review since the Sentencing Act 1991 came into effect.
Attorney-General Sonya Kilkenny congratulated Justice Emerton.
“Sentencing absolutely needs to reflect community expectations, and I look forward to seeing Justice Emerton lead this important independent review,” Kilkenny said.
Justice Emerton has more than three decades of legal experience, including most recently as president of the Court of Appeal.
She made history as the first woman to hold the role in Australia.
At that time, then-attorney-general Jaclyn Symes said Justice Emerton has “vast knowledge across the law”.
Justice Emerton has also served as a judge of the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court of Victoria. She has also been a member of the Victorian Law Reform Commission.
She was appointed senior counsel in 2007 and served as crown counsel.
The sentencing review will consider whether the act continues to meet community expectations, how sentencing can better support victims and ensure their voices are heard.
Experts and the public have been invited to provide feedback.
