Matthew David Myers (born 10 November 1970) is a judge of the
Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia
The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia is an Australian court formed in September 2021 from the merger of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia and the Family Court of Australia. It has jurisdiction over family law in Australia, ap ...
and an adjunct professor at the Faculty of Law,
University of New South Wales
The University of New South Wales (UNSW) is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It was established in 1949.
The university comprises seven faculties, through which it offers bachelor's, master's and docto ...
. He is the first
Aboriginal Australian
Aboriginal Australians are the various indigenous peoples of the Australian mainland and many of its islands, excluding the ethnically distinct people of the Torres Strait Islands.
Humans first migrated to Australia 50,000 to 65,000 year ...
to have been appointed as a federal court judge.
Early life and education
Myers was born on 10 November 1970. He grew up in La Perouse located in
Sydney
Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...
's south and later moved with his family to French's Forest, where he attended
Forest High School (Sydney). Myers developed an interest in law at an early age after witnessing an event in which a lawyer intervened between citizens of Eveleigh Street and the police.
Career
In 2015, Myers was criticised in the press for performing his own research and imposing his personal views in a decision. In February 2017 he was appointed as an
Australian Law Reform Commission
The Australian Law Reform Commission (often abbreviated to ALRC) is an Australian independent statutory body established to conduct reviews into the law of Australia. The reviews, also called inquiries or references, are referred to the ALRC by ...
Commissioner to lead the inquiry into Incarceration rates of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. Myers is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law.
See also
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Law Council of Australia
The Law Council of Australia, founded in 1933, is an association of law societies and bar associations from the states and territories of Australia, and the peak body representing the legal profession in Australia. The Law Council represents m ...
*
Law Society of New South Wales
The Law Society of New South Wales is a professional association which represents over 42,000 solicitors in Australia. The Law Society has statutory powers and regulates the practice of law in New South Wales.http://www.lawlink.nsw.gov.au/lawl ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Myers, Matthew
21st-century Australian judges
1970 births
University of New South Wales alumni
Living people
Judges of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia
Indigenous Australian people
Members of the Order of Australia