Today I announce the appointment of the Hon Justice Fiona Meagher as President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal (AAT). Justice Meagher has also been appointed as a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia, fulfilling the statutory requirement for appointment as President of the AAT.
Justice Meagher brings to the role extensive experience in legal practice and the work of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, having served at the AAT since her appointment as a Member in 2015. She was promoted to Senior Member in 2018, and then Deputy President and Division Head of the National Disability Insurance Scheme Division in 2020.
Justice Meagher's appointment as President of the AAT will commence on 1 April 2022, for a period of 7 years.
On behalf of the Australian Government, I congratulate Justice Meagher on her appointments.
I take this opportunity to acknowledge and thank the Hon Justice Berna Collier and the Hon Justice Susan Kenny AM for their service in acting as AAT President in recent months.
Justice Fiona Meagher
Justice Meagher holds a Bachelor of Arts and a Bachelor of Laws from the University of Queensland. She was admitted to the Supreme Court of Queensland in 1987 and the High Court of Australia in 1989.
Justice Meagher commenced her career as an Associate to the Hon Justice Paul De Jersey AC in 1987, before working as a solicitor at a range of legal firms from 1988 to 1993. She became Group General Counsel and Company Secretary Director for the Telecom New Zealand Australia Pty Ltd group of companies in 1993, and worked as Queensland Manager of the Legal Management Consulting Practice Group and Professional Development Manager at Blake Dawson Waldron (now Ashurst) for the period 1997 to 2000.
From 2001 to 2004, Justice Meagher was the Professional Development Manager, Change Manager and Chief Operating Officer at McCullough Robertson. She then worked as a management consultant from 2004 to 2014.
Justice Meagher became a Member of the Mental Health Review Tribunal Queensland in 2014, and was the Presidential Delegate for the period June 2017 to November 2018.
