History

Founding Members

• Ms Rachel Doyle, Victorian Bar
• Mr Anthony Forsyth, University of Melbourne
• Justice Peter Gray, Federal Court of Australia
• Mr John Howe, University of Melbourne
• Dr Chris Jessup QC, Victorian Bar
• Ms Samantha Kennedy, Corrs Chambers Westgarth
• Mr Stuart Kollmorgen, Deacons
• Mr Andrew Levy, Clayton Utz
• Professor Ron McCallum, University of Sydney
• Professor Richard Mitchell, University of Melbourne
• Mr Bruce Moore, Mallesons Stephen Jaques
• Mr Richard Naughton, Arthur Allens Robinson
• Professor Chris Nyland, Monash University
• Ms Bernadette O'Neill, Maurice Blackburn Cashman
• Ms Tamara Pallos, Blake Dawson Waldron
• Mr Glenn Patmore, University of Melbourne
• Professor Marilyn Pittard, Monash University
• Mr Charles Power, Holding Redlich
• Mr Iain Ross, Australian Industrial Relations Commission
• Mr Gary Rothville, Andersen Legal
• Mr Nick Ruskin, Phillips Fox
• Dr Graham Smith, Clayton Utz
• Mr Richard West, Minter Ellison
• Ms Catherine Walsh, Clayton Utz

Official Launch

Justice Michael Kirby of the High Court of Australia officially launched the Association on Wednesday 18 July 2001 at Victoria's Parliament House in Melbourne.

The launch was attended by approximately 100 members. Other speakers at the launch were The Honourable Monica Gould (Victorian Minister for Industrial Relations), Professor Richard Mitchell (ALLA's interim vice-president) and The Honourable Jeff Shaw (former Attorney General of NSW).

In his speech, Justice Kirby argued that there is still an important role for an industrial relations 'safety net' in Australia, and for arbitral bodies like the Australian Industrial Relations Commission to resolve disputes that cannot be resolved in common law courts. While there have been many changes to the traditional conciliation and arbitration system in recent years, Justice Kirby suggested that 'it is much too early to write the obituaries of industrial relations tribunals in Australia'.