The Government will recommend to the Governor-General the appointment of the Hon Roger Gyles AO QC to the position of Independent National Security Legislation Monitor (INSLM).
Mr Gyles has extensive legal expertise as a former Federal and Supreme Court Judge, a member of several Tribunals and more than three decades at the New South Wales Bar, including 24 years of those as a Queen’s Counsel.
The Government’s $630 million Counter-Terrorism package announced this year included legislation to modernise and strengthen the powers of Australia’s security agencies and fill the most pressing gaps in their counter-terrorism powers.
It is important Mr Gyles consider this legislation as soon as possible. He will therefore commence as the INSLM immediately on an acting basis, pending consideration of a permanent appointment by the Governor-General as soon as practicable.
His first task will be to review any impact on journalists of the section 35P provisions in the Government’s first tranche of national security legislation, National Security Legislation Amendment Act No.1 2014.
Mr Gyles was appointed (acting) Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 1989 before being appointed Judge of the Federal Court of Australia in 1999, a position he held until 2008.
He was Deputy President of the Australian Competition Tribunal and Presidential member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal; Royal Commissioner into the Building Industry of NSW between 1990 and 1992 and Commonwealth Special Prosecutor into ‘bottom of the harbour’ tax frauds.
He has also been President of both the New South Wales and Australian Bar Associations and is Chair of Transparency International Australia.
Mr Gyles’ experience will equip him well for the important task of monitoring complex national security legislation.
7 December 2014