Welcoming our new Chair, the honourable Marcia Neave AO
23 Apr 2020
Justice Connect is delighted to announce the appointment of our new Chair, the Honourable Marcia Neave AO.
Our new Chair, Marcia Neave, is an incredible woman. She has built an outstanding career as a judge, lawyer, academic and public policy maker. She is the Former Chair of the Royal Commission into Family Violence and a former judge of the Court of Appeal, Supreme Court of Victoria. She brings expertise as a lawyer and judge, but also as a thinker and academic. She has thought deeply about the impact of the law and about the systemic changes needed to improve outcomes for the community.
“Justice Connect is vital in closing the justice gap for the many Australians who cannot afford legal help,” said Marcia on joining Justice Connect.
Crucial to our own work, Marcia is an unwavering advocate for women’s rights. She played a key role in modernising Victorian law by recommending changes that addressed the systemic disadvantages faced by women and children who have experienced violence or who are on the margins of society. Her work and leadership has had an impact on the lives of many Victorians, and I’m looking forward to the positive impact her expertise will bring to Justice Connect and the communities we work with.
“Justice Connect understands how to reach people when they are most vulnerable and is constantly finding new ways, including digital techniques, to address emerging problems,” said Marcia. “I look forward to contributing to the work of Justice Connect, because of its past work in improving the law and helping people to get the legal support they need. This is an organisation that has a key role in tackling the major challenges faced by our community. We need it more than ever.”
In welcoming our new Chair, we must also acknowledge the work Nicky Friedman has accomplished as our Interim Chair over the past six months. During that time, she supported the launch of our new internal database and CRM, which will see us supporting our clients and network of firms more efficiently than ever. She was instrumental in coordinating our rapid bushfire pro bono response and meeting the challenging legal needs across many communities. We’re thankful for Nicky’s ongoing support of Justice Connect, and the expertise she will continue to provide as a member of our board.
In a year of tough starts, it’s affirming to have the tireless contributions of talented individuals like Marcia. Together we can work to close the justice gap.
