Emeritus Professor Arie Freiberg AM has announced he will retire from his role as Chair of the Sentencing Advisory Council, following 18 years of service to the Victorian community.
Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes has extended her sincerest thanks to Professor Freiberg for his leadership and service as Chair of the Council.
In 2004, Professor Freiberg was appointed inaugural Chair of the Council and has been integral to sentencing law reform in Victoria and a tireless advocate for community education about sentencing during this time.
Under Professor Freiberg’s leadership, the Council played a key role in the handing down of Victoria’s first guideline judgment and helped many Victorians to better understand sentencing law with the flagship You be the Judge program, and the creation of education resources for student and teachers.
As Chair, Professor Freiberg also lead the development of many of Council’s key publications, which made important recommendations for sentencing reform that would go on to be implemented by the Victorian Government.
These included abolishing suspended sentences, reforming community correction orders, and developing a framework for guideline judgments, standard sentences, sentence indication and sentence discounts.
As the public face of the Council for almost two decades, Professor Freiberg regularly contributed to the public discussion around sentencing matters, while promoting the Council’s work and helping to foster a better understanding of sentencing issues in the community.
Professor Freiberg will retire at the end of his current term of appointment in October 2022.
The Department of Justice and Community Safety is in the process of appointing the next Chair of the Council and will have more to say in the coming weeks.
Quotes attributable to Attorney-General Jaclyn Symes
“I wish Arie the very best for his future endeavors and I thank him sincerely for his commitment and service to the community over the past 18 years.”
“As inaugural Chair, the expertise Professor Freiberg brought to the Council has been fundamental during its formative years and to delivering meaningful law reform.”
Reviewed 16 September 2022