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 Jane Ansell

Jane has practiced law since 2002. She commenced her legal career in private practice, appearing in criminal, family law and civil matters in the Magistrates Court.

In 2006 she joined the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions as Crown Counsel. In that role she appeared for the State in criminal trials, as well as appellate and coronial proceedings, across Tasmania.

Since 2021, Jane has held a number of statutory appointments. She is a Commissioner of the Victims Assistance Unit, determining applications under the Victims of Crime Assistance Act 1976, where she exercises discretion on eligibility, causation, and quantum, often in circumstances involving contested evidence, trauma, and long-term psychological harm.  She is also a member of the Tasmanian Civil and Administrative Tribunal in the Protective Division, and a member of the Parole Board.

Jane has been a long time member and administrator within the hockey community and has held governance and leadership roles within a variety of community organisations.

Ms Ansell is appointed as a member who has experience in the provision of victim of 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.

Deputy Commissioner Jonathan Higgins APM

Jonathan Joined Tasmania Police in 1999 and has served in numerous areas of policing across Tasmania, including general uniform, country policing, criminal investigation, drug investigation, human resources and traffic and public order.  He was appointed Deputy Commissioner (and Deputy State Controller) in October 2022.

From 2018 , as Assistant Commissioner in the Specialist Support portfolio, he oversaw the commands of Operations Support, Education and Training and the Special Response and Counter Terrorism Command, and  Crime and Intelligence Command.  From December 2019 he moved to Assistant Commissioner Operations, which included Northern, Southern and Western geographic Districts, Crime and Intelligence Command and Covid-19 Police Operations Commander.

In his current Role as Deputy Commissioner, Jonathan has been instrumental in leading the Tasmania Police response to the Commission of Inquiry into the Tasmanian Government's Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Institutional Settings.

Jonathan holds a number of tertiary qualifications from the University of Tasmania, being a Bachelor of Professional Honours (Leadership and Public Sector Management), a Graduate Certificate in Police Studies, a Bachelor of Social Science (Police Studies and Human Resource Management), and a Bachelor of Science.

Deputy Commissioner Higgins 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 Michael A. Guerzoni

Michael works as a Senior Lecturer in Criminology in the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at the University of Tasmania. He has lectured at both an undergraduate and postgraduate level, currently teaching within the Criminology Major of the Bachelor of Arts.

Michael's current research focusses on the education of children in out-of-home care, and on vicarious trauma.

Dr Guerzoni 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 Rochelle Mainwaring

Rochelle is currently the Acting Associate Director of Crime, Southern Criminal Practice Manager, and senior in-house Counsel at Tasmania Legal Aid. She commenced her legal career as a trainee Crown Counsel in the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and then moved to Tasmania Legal Aid in 1999.

Rochelle also has considerable policy experience in criminal law through her service on the National Legal Aid Criminal Law Working Group (since 2004) and as the Legal Aid representative for the Criminal Law Committee of the Tasmania Law Society.

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

Ms Hannah Phillips

Hannah was admitted to practice in 2012.  She has worked in private practice (family law), at Tasmania Legal Aid (youth justice) and has been employed at the Tasmanian Aboriginal Legal Service since 2015, where she is now the Principal Lawyer.  Hannah’s practice area is criminal law.

Hannah is passionate about youth justice and is a strong advocate for the rights and interests of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Tasmania.  Over the last 10 years, Hannah has been involved in significant advocacy and law reform in respect of justice issues impacting Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in Tasmania.

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