Judy Bourke

Overview

Judy has varied interests in the law, including disability law, animal law and sports law. Teaching foundational subjects in the MLM program enables Judy to share some of her experiences and knowledge. Judy is inspired by student interaction in teaching legal skills and legal writing.

Judy qualified as a veterinary surgeon prior to studying law at the University of Melbourne, where she graduated with Honours. Her interest in animals and the law continued into legal practice as a solicitor. She co-taught the MLM subject ‘Racing Industry Law and Regulation’ from 2005 to 2016. Judy is now a member of the Victorian Racing Tribunal, hearing serious breaches of the Rules of the Codes of thoroughbred, harness and greyhounds. Judy was a member of the St Vincent’s Hospital Animal Ethics Committee for five years until 2022.

Judy has been involved in administration of sporting clubs and leagues. Judy is a member of the AFL Country Football Appeals Tribunal, hearing appeals from decisions of AFL leagues across Victoria. Judy was previously a Commissioner of the AFL Central Victoria Commission, which managed leagues and clubs in Australian Rules football, netball and hockey across central Victoria.

Judy has worked as an advocate in the National Disability Insurance Scheme space for many years, supporting people with disability. The role involved individual advocacy as well as systemic advocacy. Individual advocacy applied administrative law in assisting people with disability with their internal and external merit reviews at the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and its successor, the Australian Review Tribunal. It also involved internal and external (Ombudsman) complaints, and Freedom of Information requests. Systemic advocacy involved policy engagement and submissions to government on the NDIS.

Judy is a published author across a range of legal areas. She was editor of the standard liquor reference, Bourke’s Liquor Laws Victoria for twenty years to 2012, and authored a previous Liquor Chapter of Halsbury’s Laws of Australia. Judy has published on animal welfare issues, including the legal framework of quarantine in the wake of the Equine Influenza outbreak in 2007. An early article by Judy published in the Australian Bar review concerned DNA forensic evidence, which was subsequently cited extensively in the Victorian parliament and in government enquiries in Canada on scientific test evidence.

Judy teaches two foundational subjects in the Melbourne Law Masters program: Fundamentals of the Common Law, and Australian legal process and Legal Institutions.