Criminal barrister appointed District Court Judge
A Queen’s Counsel has been appointed as a new Judge of the District Court, while a former Queensland anti-corruption official has been announced as South Australia’s deputy Independent Commissioner Against Corruption.
Photo: Tony Lewis/InDaily
Emily Telfer QC will start as a Judge of the District and Environment, Resources and Development Courts on Monday.
Telfer, a current barrister at Len King Chambers, has over 20 years’ experience working in criminal law, having begun her career as an associate to Justice Margaret Nyland in the Supreme Court.
She has previously worked for the Director of Public Prosecutions, the Legal Services Commission and as a counsel assisting the Child Protection Systems Royal Commission.
Meanwhile, Paul Alsbury has been appointed as Independent Commissioner Against Corruption Ann Vanstone’s deputy for a three-year term starting on February 14.
Alsbury previously worked as a senior executive officer at the Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission.
He has over 15 years’ experience in the Queensland public service in senior roles with the Director of Public Prosecutions, Transport Department and Police.
His appointment comes after the South Australian Parliament last year made sweeping changes to its anti-corruption laws which significantly weakened the ICAC’s investigative powers.
Under the reforms, misconduct and maladministration investigations were handed to the State Ombudsman, while the Office of Public Integrity was tasked with assessing complaints about public officers to determine whether they warrant investigation.
The ICAC can now investigate public officers if their conduct has been assessed as raising a potential issue of corruption as defined in legislation.
