Appointment of additional Members to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal
The Australian Government has appointed 54 additional members to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT) through a transparent and merit-based selection process, conducted in accordance with the AAT appointment guidelines. These appointments follow the 39 appointments announced on 15 September 2023.
The appointment of these members fulfils the Government’s commitment to appoint at least 75 additional members to the AAT to address the existing backlog of cases – particularly in the Migration and Refugee Division. These appointments bring the total membership of the AAT to 358 members, with 209 full-time and 149 part-time members.
Under the previous government, backlogs and delays in the AAT were allowed to grow exponentially. This has come at a very real cost to the tens of thousands of people who rely on the AAT each year to independently review government decisions that have major and sometimes life-altering impacts on their lives.
The additional members will be appointed for a fixed term of two years, with the majority assigned to the Migration and Refugee Division. There will also be several members assigned to the National Disability Insurance Scheme Division and the Social Services and Child Support Division. Some members will be assigned to more than one Division.
The new Members will commence between 9 October 2023 and 5 February 2024. All Members appointed through this process will transition to the new administrative review body, the Administrative Review Tribunal, upon its commencement, for the remainder of their term.
On behalf of the government, I congratulate the below Members on their appointments.
Members:
- Dr Dawn Barker
- Mrs Kay Bell
- Ms Alicia Bills
- Ms Melissa Bray
- Mr Michael Brereton
- Mr Patrick Burgess
- Ms Mary-Ann Cooper
- Mr Clyde Cosentino
- Dr Kevin Dodd
- Ms Suseela Durvasula
- Ms Jessica Edis
- Mrs Jennifer Ermert
- Ms Amy Faram
- Mr Garry Fitzgerald
- Mr Patrick Francis
- Ms Helen Glass
- Ms Amanda Goodier
- Mr Benjamin Goulding
- Mr John Paul Guemy
- Mrs Melissa Haag
- Ms Athena Harris Ingall
- Ms Noelle Hossen
- Mr Denny Hughes
- Mr Adam Johnson
- Dr Rachelle Johnston
- Ms Hollie Kerwin
- Ms Hee-Jung Kim
- Mr Matthew King
- Mr John Kotsifas
- Mr Joshua Le Vay
- Mr Gary Ledson
- Ms Rebecca Lee
- Mr Anastasis Liveris
- Mrs Lisa Maree Lo Piccolo
- Mr Ben Lumsdaine
- Ms Sophie Manera
- Mr Shane Marshall
- Ms Mary Mathew
- Ms Rosemary Mathlin
- Ms Janette McCahon
- Prof Robert McLaughlin
- Ms Stefanie Memmott
- Ms Belinda Mericourt
- Ms Rebecca Mikhail
- Ms Sydelle Muling
- Ms Siran Nyabally
- Ms Linda Pearson
- Ms Alison Ryan
- Ms Frances Simmons
- Ms Catherine Wall
- Prof Gregory Weeks
- Ms Carolyn Wilson
- Mrs Sue Zelinka
- Ms Sophia Ziebell-Barnes