The Albanese Government has strengthened oversight of Australia's insolvency system by approving a pool of 10 highly qualified experts that the Australian Financial Security Authority can appoint as part‑time members of Bankruptcy Trustee Registration and Disciplinary Committees.
The candidates will bolster the system that scrutinises bankruptcy trustees, with committees convened as needed to assess registration, conditions, suspension and disciplinary matters. The pool is designed to ensure cases are handled with deep expertise, faster turnaround, and robust independence.
The candidates bring extensive experience across insolvency and bankruptcy law, corporate and commercial law, taxation, accounting, public policy and consumer finance, drawn from academia, legal practice and regulatory roles.
Six of the ten candidates are women, reflecting the Government's commitment to gender equity in leadership and decision‑making roles.
They are:
- Ms Catherine Brown - Senior Lecturer, Queensland University of Technology, specialising in insolvency, corporate law, taxation and real property, with experience across government and private practice.
- Dr Jennifer Dickfos - Senior Lecturer, Griffith University, an experienced academic with publications in bankruptcy, securities law and insolvency.
- Mr Michael Geoffrey Rees Gronow KC - Judicial Registrar of the Federal Court of Australia and barrister practising in commercial law, bankruptcy and insolvency.
- Dr Jason Harris - Professor of Corporate Law, University of Sydney, with extensive publications and funded research in corporate and insolvency law.
- Dr Nicola Howell - Senior Lecturer, Queensland University of Technology, specialising in consumer law, financial services regulation and personal insolvency.
- Mr Michael Murray - Insolvency law writer and commentator with extensive experience in personal and corporate insolvency and Commonwealth regulatory law.
- Dr Lucinda O'Brien - Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Melbourne Law School, specialising in personal insolvency, consumer finance and financial hardship.
- Dr Catherine Robinson - Senior Lecturer, University of Technology Sydney, specialising in insolvency law and practitioner regulation, and editor of leading insolvency publications.
- Dr Elizabeth Streten - Lecturer, Queensland University of Technology, and former practising solicitor specialising in insolvency, corporate law and civil litigation.
- Emeritus Professor Christopher Symes - Adelaide Law School, University of Adelaide, an internationally recognised expert in Australian corporate and personal insolvency law.
Members will be appointed to individual committees on an as‑needed basis, taking into account expertise, availability and potential conflicts of interest.
Establishing the candidate pool strengthens confidence in the integrity of Australia's personal insolvency framework by ensuring decisions affecting trustees are informed by deep, independent expertise.
