Julian Gardner (lawyer)

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Julian Gardner is a prominent Australian human right lawyer. He was a founding member, lawyer, and director of the Fitzroy Legal Service. He served as the Public Advocate of the state of Victoria from 2000-2007 and the Director of the Victorian Legal Aid Commission [1] from 1980 to 1989 and on numerous other public boards. In 2015, he was made a Member of the Order of Australia for services to the community.

Contents

Biography

Gardner studied law and arts at the University of Melbourne. [2]

In 1972, he became one of the founding members of the Fitzroy Legal Service, a free legal service based in Fitzroy, Victoria for people who cannot afford legal representation. [3] From 1975, Gardner was the service's first full time lawyer and legal coordinator. In 1983, he was the Director of the Fitzroy Legal Service. [4]

Gardner served as Director of the Victorian Legal Aid Commission [1] from 1980 to 1989, as the first Chairperson of the Victorian WorkCare Appeals Board from 1989 to 1992 and as President of the Mental Health Review Board from 1997 to 2000.

In February 2000, he became the third Public Advocate of the state of Victoria. [2] The role of the advocate is to protect the legal rights of Victorians over 18 years old with disabilities, often by intervening in court actions, holding and exercising legal guardianship over disabled persons, and/or petitioning other government agencies on behalf of disabled persons. In 2005, he made the high-profile decision to allow the removal of Maria Korp's feeding tube, which ultimately resulted in her death. [5] His seven-year term ended in April 2007.

Subsequently, Gardner served as the Deputy Chair of Alfred Health from 2010 to 19, Chair of Mind Australia Ltd from 2011 to 18, Vice Chair of the Australian Press Council from 2012-13, a member of the Ministerial Advisory Panel for Voluntary Assisted Dying 2017-18,[ citation needed ] and Chair of Voluntary Assisted Dying Taskforce 2018-19.

In 2015, Gardner was made a member of the Order of Australia for "significant service to the community through leadership roles with social welfare, mental health, legal aid and other legal organisations". [6]

Writing

References

  1. 1 2 Murdoch, Lindsay (8 April 1983). "Cash Crisis Deprives Hundreds of Legal Aid" . The Age. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. p. 3. Retrieved 23 August 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  2. 1 2 Feigan, Mark (July 2011). A short history of the Victorian Office of the Public Advocate 1986 - 2011: Twenty-five years of fighting for the rights of people with a disability (PDF). Melbourne, Victoria: Office of the Public Advocate. pp. 7, 18–21, 26. ISBN   978-1-921627-40-8.
  3. ↑ Chesterman, John (1996). Poverty Law and Social Change: The Story of the Fitzroy Legal Service. Carlton, Victoria, Australia: Melbourne University Press. ISBN   0522847390.
  4. ↑ Sayers, Stuart (1 January 1983). "Bringing Law to the People" . Saturday Extra. The Age. Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. p. 6. Retrieved 23 August 2025– via Newspapers.com.
  5. ↑ "Maria Korp passes away". The Sydney Morning Herald . 5 August 2005. Archived from the original on 3 November 2012.
  6. ↑ "Media Notes: Member (AM) in the General Division of the Order of Australia" (PDF). Government of Australia. 2015. Retrieved 13 July 2016.
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