Appointments to the Copyright Tribunal of Australia
I am pleased to announce that the announce that the Governor-General, His Excellency General the Honourable David Hurley AC DSC (Retd), has accepted the advice of the Albanese Government to make a number of appointments to the Copyright Tribunal of Australia.
The Honourable Justice Nye Perram has been appointed President of the Copyright Tribunal of Australia for a seven-year term.
Justice Perram has ably served as acting President of the Copyright Tribunal since 20 July 2022, following the retirement of the former President the Hon Andrew Greenwood. I thank the Hon Andrew Greenwood for his distinguished service to the Copyright Tribunal.
The Hon Justice Tom Thawley, the Hon Justice Michael O’Bryan and the Hon Justice Helen Rofe have been appointed Copyright Tribunal Deputy Presidents for five-year terms.
All appointees are highly respected and capable judges, and the expertise they will bring in a range of relevant practice areas will significantly bolster the Copyright Tribunal’s capacity to consider matters within its jurisdiction.
The Copyright Tribunal is an independent specialist body, established under the Copyright Act 1968 that primarily hears disputes about remuneration payable to copyright collecting societies under copyright licence schemes.
The Copyright Tribunal is administered by the Federal Court, and its President must be a current Federal Court judge. Its Deputy Presidents must be current or former Judges of a federal court or a Supreme Court of a state or territory. The Government consulted with the Chief Justice of the Federal Court the Hon James Allsop AO in advance of these decisions.
The Government congratulates all new appointees and thanks their Honours for their valuable, ongoing service.
Background
The Hon Justice Nye Perram
Justice Perram is a highly regarded and well-respected member of the judiciary, serving as a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia since 8 August 2008.
He has also served as a Deputy President of the Copyright Tribunal since 8 June 2009, bringing extensive knowledge of and expertise in copyright to the role.
The Hon Justice Tom Thawley
Justice Thawley has served as a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia since 14 February 2018 and brings experience in commercial law. He is a current Deputy President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal.
The Hon Justice Michael O’Bryan
Justice O’Bryan has served as a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia since 26 February 2018 and brings experience consumer and competition law, including through his role as Deputy President of the Australian Competition Tribunal.
The Hon Justice Helen Rofe
Justice Rofe has served as a Judge of the Federal Court of Australia since 12 July 2021 and brings experience in intellectual property, including through her role as National Intellectual Property Co-ordinating Judge of the Federal Court’s Victorian Registry.