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Sentencing Advisory Council

About the Sentencing Advisory Council

The Sentencing Advisory Council was established on 29 June 2010 by the then Attorney-General, Hon Lara Giddings MP, as an advisory body on matters concerning sentencing in Tasmania.  The Council provides the Attorney-General with high-level independent advice on sentencing in Tasmania to:

  • assist the Attorney-General make decisions relating to sentencing matters
  • improve the quality and availability of information on sentencing in Tasmania, and
  • educate the public about sentencing matters.

This involves a range of tasks including undertaking research and analysis on specific sentencing matters, providing advice, recommendations and/or reports to the Attorney-General on sentencing matters, obtaining community opinion on sentencing matters, and publishing information on such matters.

The Council often undertakes a project following a specific referral from the Attorney-General. However, the Council may undertake a research project on its own motion following discussion with the Attorney.

Members

Council members are chosen to represent a unique and balanced perspective on the sentencing process from an excellent knowledge base.  The Council includes a chairperson, three community members, and nominees from the legal profession, the Commissioner of Police, the Director of Public Prosecutions, the University of Tasmania and the Legal Aid Commission.

Members are not paid sitting fees and provide their expertise and service voluntarily.

The current members are:

Mr Michael O'Farrell SC (Chair)

Michael has practiced law since 1984.  He graduated from the University of Tasmania in 1983, and commenced his legal career in the Crown Law Department, undertaking criminal prosecutions, civil matters and providing advice.  He moved to private practice at Dobson Mitchell and Allport in 1986, and became a partner of the firm in 1990, working mainly in commercial litigation, administrative law and employment.

In 2002 he commenced practice as a barrister at Malthouse Chambers.  He was appointed Senior Counsel in 2009.  In 2014 he was appointed as Solicitor-General of Tasmania.  He retired from that position in December 2021, before returning to the bar in March 2022.

Michael has appeared in a considerable range of cases before Tasmanian courts and tribunals, the Federal Court of Australia and the High Court.  He has held a variety of positions in the service of the law, including President of the Tasmanian Bar from 2011 to 2013. He has been a member of the Board of Legal Education since 2010.

Ms Rosalie Martin

Rosie has expertise in the ways in which speech and language are acquired and the neurological bases of these processes. Language is one of the most important cognitive skills underpinning the development of personal pro-social agency. Language is the foundation of literacy - reading and writing. Rosie has been bringing this understanding to work with marginalised men and women in prison, exiting prison, and in homelessness services. Bringing a scientific approach to the development of language, literacy, and connection, many of the people in her programs have learned to read in a matter of months, and have gained insights into the attitudes and skills underlying relational security in parenting. Rosie's work is showing that many lives, currently on hold in prison, can be transformed. In 2017 her work was recognised when she was awarded Tasmanian Australian of the Year.

Rosie also runs a private speech pathology practice that brings professional services to children and adults with autism spectrum disorder, language-literacy disorders, and other communication disorders. She keenly feels the privilege of having been trusted in therapy by vulnerable children, their families, and other individuals, across almost 40 years.

In 2015, Rosie completed accreditation as a Facilitator for the Centre for Courage & Renewal. She holds retreats and other events to bring this wholehearted work of courage development to leaders and others. She also completed Criminology Honours in 2016 and has plans to complete a PhD in Criminology.

Ms Martin is appointed as a member who has broad experience in community issues affecting the courts.

Ms Kate Cuthbertson

Kate was admitted to practice in 1999 and signed the bar roll in February 2010. She was appointed head of Malthouse Chambers in August 2014. Her areas of practice include criminal law (State and Commonwealth), professional conduct, general litigation, administrative law and coronial matters. Kate is also a member of the Anti-Discrimination Tribunal, the Mental Health Tribunal,  a deputy chairperson of the Tasmanian Racing Appeals Board and a Criminal Injuries Compensation Commissioner.  In addition to her work as a barrister, Kate holds a number of positions on government and not-for-profit boards and is a graduate of the AICD’s Company Director’s Course. Kate also assists deliver the Magistrates Court Practice and Advocacy Module at the Centre for Legal Studies.

Ms Cuthbertson  is appointed as a member who has broad experience in community issues affecting the courts.

Ms Jill Maxwell

Jill is the CEO of SASS (Sexual Assault Support Service).

She is enthusiastic about living life to the full, contributing to change at both an individual and community level, and encouraging herself and those around her to be the best versions of self they can be.

On a personal level, this enthusiasm has led Jill to test her abilities in climbing mountains and kayaking Tasmania’s rivers at every opportunity and it wouldn’t be unusual to find her out on evenings and weekends on a mountain trail or a wild river.

On a professional level, the journey has been from serving 13 years with Tasmania Police to completing Bachelors Degrees in Social Work and Psychology, to working as a counsellor in the Family Violence Counselling and Support Service, and to then working almost 10 years with Volunteering Tasmania.

She graduated from the Tasmanian Leaders Program in 2011 and is passionate about leadership and the influence this has on creating a safe, respectful, learning culture that inspires confidence in each other and results in an organisation expanding its vision and therefore its opportunities.

Ms Maxwell is appointed as a member who has experience in the provision of victim crime support in Tasmania.

Ms Kim Baumeler

Kim was admitted to practice in 1993 and became a partner with Butler McIntyre and Butler in 2004. In 2014 she took a position with Liverpool Chambers. Her practice includes all areas of the criminal spectrum as well as allied criminal justice matters.

Kim has extensive practical defence experience as well as an understanding of the workings of the Office of Director of Public Prosecutions. Kim is also an active member of a number of professional and community committees, boards and organisations including the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute Board (member with specialised knowledge in criminal practice), Law Council of Australia Criminal Law Committee (member), the national Board for the Lutheran Church of Australia (member), Eastside Lutheran College Board (Deputy Chair)  and the Council of St Peter’s Lutheran Church (Chair). Kim has previously provided her expertise to Crime Stoppers Tasmania (Director) and Mosaic Support Services (Chair).

Kim continues to share her knowledge and expertise through lecturing at the University of Tasmania, the Police Academy, and the Legal Practice course.

Ms Baumeler is appointed as a member who is a highly experienced defence lawyer.

Ms Linda Mason SC

Linda is Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) and has worked with the DPP for over 20 years. Linda has provided training and education for various organisations including the University of Tasmania, Tasmania Police Academy, Tasmania Fire Service and The National Institute of Forensic Science. Linda has held professional memberships with the Bar Association, the Australian & New Zealand Forensic Science Society and is a current member of the Law Society of Tasmania.  On 30 April 2018 Linda was appointed Senior Counsel.

Ms Mason is appointed as a member who is a highly experienced prosecution lawyer.

Commander Peter Harriss

Peter is the head of Strategy and Support, Business and Executive Services, in the Department of Police, Fire and Emergency Management.

Commander Harriss is appointed as the member who is a member of the police service.

Professor Lorana  Bartels

Lorana is a Professor of Criminology at the Australian National University (ANU) and an Adjunct Professor of Law at the University of Tasmania and University of Canberra. She was previously the Criminology Program Leader at the ANU and Head of the School of Law and Justice at the University of Canberra. She has also worked for the New South Wales (NSW) Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, NSW Public Defenders, NSW Attorney-General’s Department and Australian Institute of Criminology. She is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law and admitted to practice in the Supreme Court of NSW. Lorana is the Sentencing Editor of the Criminal Law Journal and a member of the editorial boards of the Alternative Law Journal, Current Issues in Criminal Justice and International Journal of Offender Therapy and Comparative Criminology.

Professor Bartels is appointed as a member who has experience as a senior member of the academic staff of a tertiary institution.

Dr Helen Cockburn

Helen has worked at the Tasmanian Integrity Commission since 2022. Prior to this she was a tenured academic at the University of Tasmania’s Faculty of Law. She coordinated the core units of the Bachelor of Laws, Criminal Law and Evidence and occupied positions on the Faculty Learning and Teaching Committee and the Faculty Leadership Team.

Helen held the position of coordinator of Police Studies at the Faculty when it was first created and was instrumental in the development of an investigative interviewing course offered to police recruits and officers undertaking post-graduate studies.

Helen was also the Graduate Research Coordinator for the Faculty. She maintains an active involvement in supervising post-graduate candidates in her role as an Adjunct Senior Lecturer at UTAS.

Dr Cockburn is appointed as a member who has experience as a senior member of the academic staff of a tertiary institution.

Mr Glenn Hay

Glenn is a retired Magistrate. He is a UTAS graduate and was admitted as a legal practitioner in 1976 working in litigation, primarily in family law and criminal law. In 1999 he was appointed as a ‘judicial’ Registrar of the Family Court of Australia and sat in both Melbourne and Tasmania courts. In 2002 he joined Malthouse Chambers as a barrister primarily in family law matters, and in the same year was appointed as the Director of the Centre for Legal Studies Ltd (Legal Practice Course).

In July 2005 Glenn was appointed a Magistrate and he retired in June 2021, although was later appointed as a Temporary Magistrate for 6 months before finally retiring 1 July 2022.

Glenn was the Treasurer of the Tasmanian Bar Association for many years and a member of the Law Society Disciplinary Tribunal.  He was a member of the Board of Directors of the Legal Aid Commission of Tasmania for some years and is a past President/Chair of Relationships Australia (Tas) Inc. He is the current President/Chair of NFP drug and other addictions counselling provider Holyoake Inc and is a committee member of the NFP organisation Just Desserts, providing assistance to the courts in relation to positive outcomes for drug treatment order recipients.

He has been a long-time rowing coach and rowing administrator as well as a legal adviser to or member or committee member of numerous sporting and community organisations.

Mr Hay is appointed as a member who has broad experience in community issues affecting the courts.

Ms Rebecca Lancaster

Rebecca was admitted to practice in 2003.  In 2004 she was employed as the associate to the former Chief Justice, William Cox.  In 2004 she then commenced as prosecutor with Tasmania Police, specialising in family violence prosecutions.

In 2008, Rebecca was appointed to the role of solicitor in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP), where she progressed to the role of Senior Solicitor. Rebecca managed criminal lists and the listing of trials across the State as well as appearing frequently in the Supreme and Magistrates courts, and appearing in the coronial court as counsel assisting the coroner.  Rebecca remained with the ODPP for 15 years before being appointed to the position of Associate Director of Criminal Law with Tasmania Legal Aid in October 2023.

Rebecca has assisted on the Tasmania Legal Practice Course for over a decade, assisting students with their Magistrates Court Advocacy Module.

Ms Lancaster is appointed as the member with experience with legal aid in Tasmania.