Hugh De Kretser appointed President of the Australian Human Rights Commission – By Lawrence Machado
HUGH DE KRETSER
Prominent human rights lawyer, Hugh De Kretser, who forsake a lucrative career in the corporate world to follow his heart, has been appointed as next President of the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC). The Victorian is the first person of Sri Lankan origin to take charge of this high profile post.
His appointment was announced officially by the Australian Attorney General Mark Dreyfus this week. Hugh is the son of the former Governor General of Victory, Professor David de Kretser and Jan, and has three siblings, Steve, Mark and Ross.
“I am absolutely thrilled to be appointed to this role,” Mr De Kretser posted on his LinkedIn page. “Human rights are the vital ingredients we all need to lead a decent, dignified life. When human rights are respected, our lives are better and our communities are stronger and healthier. Australia can and should be leading the world on human rights.
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“Yesterday (May 23), I had the privilege of attending the apology by Victoria Police Chief Commissioner Shane Patton for the harm caused by the role of police in taking Aboriginal children from their families and communities. It was an important acknowledgment and the speeches from Aboriginal leaders and Stolen Generations survivors were profoundly moving.
“It underscored the importance of truth telling and the vital work that the Yoorrook Justice Commission is doing.
“I’m sad to be leaving friends and colleagues at Yoorrook who have taught me so much. I’m confident that Yoorrook will extend its impact over the next year and continue to achieve its goals of truth, understanding and transformation.
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Attorney General Mark Dreyfus.
LOOKING FORWARD TO MY NEW ROLE
“I’m looking forward to starting in the new role at the end of July and working with the Commissioners and staff to advance the human rights of people and communities across Australia.”
The AHRC promotes and protects human rights in Australia and plays a critical role in upholding the rights of all Australians to be treated with dignity and live their lives free from discrimination. As president, Mr De Kretser will be responsible for managing the administrative affairs of the AHRC.
“I am pleased to announce the appointment of Hugh de Kretser has been appointed as next President of the Australian Human Rights Commission,” Mr Dreyfus said.
Mr de Kretser’s five-year appointment will commence on July 30, 2024, following the conclusion of Emeritus Professor Rosalind Croucher AM’s appointment on July 29.
“Mr de Kretser is currently the Chief Executive Officer of the Yoorrook Justice Commission. Prior to this, he was Executive Director at the Human Rights Law Centre and Executive Officer at the Federation of Community Legal Centres (Victoria) Inc,” Mr Dreyfus said.
“He has served as a Commissioner of the Victorian Law Reform Commission and a Director of the Sentencing Advisory Council. Mr de Kretser has occupied board positions for Flourish Australia, the International Network of Civil Liberties Organisations, National Association of Community Legal Centres, and the Human Rights Law Centre.
“I congratulate Mr de Kretser on his appointment and thank him for taking on this important role.
“I also thank Professor Croucher for her service as President since 2017. In particular, I acknowledge her advocacy to support the Commission retaining its accreditation as Australia’s A-status National Human Rights Institution in 2023.”
In an insightful interview published by the Melbourne Law College in November 2022, De Kretser said he learnt a lot as an employment lawyer at Mallesons, having joined then after graduating in 1997. He said knew the Workplace Relations Act “back-to-front” and enjoyed his role in corporate law. However, when a six-month secondment at a Community Legal Centre came up, Hugh decided to apply and that marked a turning point in his professional life.
‘KEEN TO USE MY LEGAL SKILLS TO HELP PEOPLE’
He said: “I was just so keen to use my legal skills to help people in a deeply-rewarding environment”. He worked as a lawyer at the Brimbank Community Legal Centre, helping clients with matters ranging from domestic violence to minor crime.
Prof David de Kretser
At university, Mr de Kretser was interested in politics, journalism, history and diplomacy. He later left Mallesons to become the manager of the Brimbank Community Legal Centre. “My pay was cut in half and my responsibility doubled…It wasn’t a particularly strategic decision or anything like that. I went with my heart and I just made a choice about the kind of work that made me happy, and I was at a point in my life where I could make that choice,” he said.
“At Brimbank, what frustrated me was seeing the legal system not working properly for people experiencing disadvantage. I really loved helping them in case by case to try and fix that, but I knew we needed to fix the system through law reform.
“We worked on prisoners’ rights law reform and that was the work that I got the greatest satisfaction out of.”
De Kretser has this advice for young people interested in human rights: “You don’t have to be called a human rights lawyer to do human rights law. There is a range of interesting careers out there where you can do meaningful work. And you can make a difference wherever you work. We need good people in the corporate sector, in government, in private law firms…”
Hugh’s father is the famous David de Krestser AC who served as the 28th Governor of Victoria from 2006 to 2011. The highly-respected Sri Lankan-born professor is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science, a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering and a Fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians. Prof de Kretser did his junior schooling at St Paul’s School, Milagiriya, and Roya College Primary before migrating to Australia with his family when he was nine years.
In the Queen’s Birthday Honours in 2006, he was awarded Australia’s highest civilian honour, Companion of the Order of Australia (AC), and is also a knight of the British Venerable Order of Saint John. In 2001, Prof de Kretser was named Victoria’s Father of the Year.
Prof De Kretser is an eminent reproductive endocrinologist whose appointments at Monash have included Professor of Anatomy. He is the founding Director of the Monash Institute of Medical Research and the Associate Dean for Biotechnology Development.
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