Human Rights Commissioner
Lorraine Finlay, Human Rights Commissioner, brings legal and academic expertise to protect freedoms and promote justice across Australia.
Summary
- Position
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Human Rights Commissioner
- Term dates
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November 2021 - present
- Credentials
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PhD in Law from the University of Queensland
Dual Masters in Law from New York University and the National University of Singapore
First Class Honours in both her Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) degrees, University of Western Australia
About Lorraine Finlay
Connect on LinkedIn | @lorrainejfinlay
Lorraine commenced her term as the Human Rights Commissioner in November 2021. In this role Lorraine has particular responsibility for protecting and promoting fundamental rights and freedoms (such as freedom of speech, religion, movement and association) across Australia. She also leads the work of the Commission in areas including business and human rights, modern slavery, emergency responses, asylum seekers and refugees, and technology & human rights.
Experience
Lorraine has held a range of senior roles across government, academia and the community sector. Prior to her appointment to the Commission, she served as the Senior Human Trafficking Specialist with the Australian Mission to ASEAN, where she worked on regional cooperation to combat trafficking in persons and modern slavery.
She has previously worked as a law academic, including at Murdoch University where she taught criminal law, constitutional law, and international human rights law for over a decade. Her academic work was recognised with multiple university and national awards for teaching and research excellence. Earlier in her career, Lorraine worked as a State Prosecutor with the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (WA) and at the High Court of Australia as a Judges’ Associate and Legal Research Officer.
Lorraine has a long-standing commitment to community service, and has been actively involved in a range of community organisations. Most recently, this has included serving on the Executive Committee of the National Council of Women (WA) and as a board member of the Ishar Multicultural Women’s Health Service.
Education
Lorraine holds a PhD in Law from the University of Queensland and a dual Masters in Law from New York University and the National University of Singapore, where she studied as a Singapura Scholar.
Her undergraduate studies were completed at the University of Western Australia, where she was awarded First Class Honours in both her Bachelor of Laws and Bachelor of Arts (Political Science) degrees.
Human rights are not abstract ideals – they are the foundation of a just and inclusive society. My role is to ensure these rights are protected, respected, and realised for all Australians.