The tribunal hears appeals from courts martial and Australian Defence Force magistrates
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus has announced five significant appointments to the Defence Force Discipline Appeals Tribunal.
The new appointees are John Logan, Melissa Perry, Robertson Wright, John Halley, and Lincoln Crowley. The tribunal hears and determines appeals from courts martial and Australian Defence Force magistrates relating to service offences by Australian Defence Force personnel. In the lead-up to these appointments, Dreyfus undertook targeted consultation due to the highly specialised requirements of the tribunal and its focus on military justice.
Logan has been reappointed as the tribunal president, a position he has held with distinction since 2018. Logan has served on the tribunal since 2011 when he was initially appointed as a member. His legal career includes serving as a judge in the Federal Court of Australia and the Supreme and National Courts of Papua New Guinea.
Logan has extensive military experience, commencing in the Australian Army Reserve as an officer cadet and was then commissioned into the Australian Intelligence Corps in the Army Reserve. He held the rank of major at the time of his transfer to the standby list in that corps. Logan remained on that list until moving to the retired list. He was awarded the Reserve Force Decoration (RFD) for his service as an officer in the Army Reserve.
Perry assumes the role of the tribunal's deputy president. She has been a member of the tribunal since 2018. She also served as a judge of the Federal Court of Australia. Perry's military experience includes service as a commissioned officer with the Royal Australian Air Force, Legal Specialist Reserves since 2011. In 2023, Perry was promoted to air commodore and appointed deputy judge advocate general of the Air Force for five years.
Wright, a judge of the NSW Supreme Court, joined the tribunal as a new member. Wright's military experience includes service with the Australian Army Reserve where he has served extensively in various regiments as a platoon commander, company second-in-command and company commander.
Halley, also a judge of the Federal Court of Australia, has been appointed to the tribunal as a member for five years. He has served with the Australian Army Reserve commencing as an infantry officer. He has also served with the 2/17th Battalion Royal New South Wales Regiment and 8 Brigade in various capacities, including as a platoon commander, intelligence officer, company second-in-command and staff officer.
Crowley served as a judge of the Supreme Court of Queensland. He is the first indigenous judge appointed to a superior court in Australia. He will serve the tribunal as a member for five years. Crowley's military experience includes service with the Australian Army Reserve, 31st Battalion, Royal Queensland Regiment, Townsville.
"On behalf of the government, I congratulate their honours on their appointments and thank them for their willingness to serve on the Tribunal," Dreyfus said.
These appointments took effect on 31 August.
