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Lawyer appointed CEO of Human Rights Commission
An Australian diplomat and human rights lawyer has been named as the new chief executive of the Australian Human Rights Commission.
Jerome Doraisamy
Leanne Smith has been appointed as the new chief executive of AHRC, following a publicly advertised and open recruitment process. She will commence in her new role on 22 November 2021.
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This is not Ms Smith’s first time working for the Commission – in the late 1990s, she was employed as a project policy officer before pursuing a career first as an Australian diplomat and subsequently with the UN. Most recently, she was the executive director of the Whitlam Institute within Western Sydney University.
As a diplomat, she worked for the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, the United Nations’ Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, the UN Development Program, and the Department of Peacekeeping Operations.
Speaking about the appointment, Commission president Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM said that the Commission is “delighted” that Ms Smith is returning, noting that she brings “extensive experience in human rights and public policy”.
Ms Smith said: “It is a real honour to come back to the Commission after more than 20 years. The AHRC plays a crucial role in promoting and protecting the rights of every Australian.”
“The incredible work it does across its mandates, every day, is a tribute to the passion and the commitment of the people who work there. I will be very proud to count myself as one of them.”
