General Press Release No. 287 (October 2009)

Appointment of new Chair

The Australian Press Council has announced the appointment of Professor Julian Disney as its new Chair, with his term commencing on December 1, 2009.

Julian Disney is currently a Professor in the Law Faculty of the University of New South Wales and Director of the Social Justice Project. He has a wide range of experience in the welfare sector and on various government advisory bodies.

Professor Disney will succeed Professor Ken McKinnon, who was appointed Chair of the Council in 2000.

The outgoing Chair, Professor McKinnon, served nine years as Chair of the Council and has greatly enhanced the Council's role and public profile.

"Professor McKinnon has extended the Council's reputation as a vigorous, independent advocate for newspaper readers and for the freedoms and responsibilities of the Australian press", said Council CEO Jack Herman.

In particular he led the Council's efforts to reform defamation law, an effort that saw the previous hodge-podge of eight separate laws harmonised in 2005. The harmonised defamation law not only unified the law across the country but greatly improved it by introducing pre-trial offers of amends procedures and by mandating that truth alone could be a defence.

Professor McKinnon has been active in other press freedom issues: a strong voice for moderating the excesses of federal anti-terrorism laws; seeking to ameliorate the torrent of suppression orders in state courts; and advocating a policy that would make asylum seekers more accessible to the media to tell their stories.

Additionally, Professor McKinnon has strengthened the Council complaints processes. The Council seeks to ensure that a free press is a responsible press and, under his leadership, the Council has been more diligent in seeking to find mediated settlements of complaints. He helped develop face-to-face mediations by Council members in their local area as a further alternate to adjudication of complaints. When complaints have been adjudicated he has led the Council to a more vigorous expression of condemnation when it is judged that a publication has been in breach of ethical principles.

Professor McKinnon's achievements have made the task of finding his successor all the more exacting.

Julian Disney's background suits him ideally to the task. He has been, variously, a Law Reform Commissioner, Coordinator of the Sydney Welfare Rights Centre, President of the Australian Council of Social Service, President of the International Council on Social Welfare, and Director of ANU's Centre for International and Public Law.

He is also the National Chair of Anti-Poverty Week and is the independent chair of the National Affordable Housing Summit and the Community Tax Forum.

His experience with such bodies, and in his various roles with government bodies, means that he has the knowledge and ability to lead the Council in both its roles: to preserve the traditional freedoms of the press from outside threats; and to ensure that the free press is responsible in its reporting and commentary.

Professor Disney said, "It is an honour to have been invited to become Chair of the Press Council. I am looking forward to working with other members to maintain and develop the important contributions to the interests of both the print media and the broader community that it has made under Professor McKinnon's outstanding leadership."

Professor McKinnon said he had greatly enjoyed working with the Press Council.

"Australia is fortunate to have not only a free but responsible press. The Council plays a vital role in maintaining this position, and provides a flexible and effective mechanism for dealing with complaints against newspapers at no cost to taxpayers", he said.

"The feeling of being involved in an important enterprise has made for a very satisfying Chairmanship.

"I wish the Professor Disney the same enjoyment and satisfaction in what is certainly a service to the public."

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