The Honourable Robyn Layton AO QC
The Honourable Dr Robyn Layton AO QC was announced as a joint winner,
with Mr Nicholas Linke, of the 2013 Justice Award. Ms Layton won
the award for a myriad of activities related to promoting access
to justice in South Australia and internationally. During her
40-year legal career, she had maintained a commitment to advancing and
protecting the rights of the disadvantaged. She was one of SA’s
highest profile human rights activists and a powerful advocate for
indigenous, refugee and children’s rights. Her work was
recognised in her award of Officer in the General Division of the Order
of Australia, AO – 26 January 2012, for “distinguished
service to the law and to the judiciary, particularly through the
Supreme Court of South Australia, as an advocate for Indigenous,
refugee and children's rights, and to the community.”
She had been named South Australian of the Year in 2012, largely for
her social justice work.
Ms Layton had been in turn a solicitor, a barrister, a judge in the
Industrial Court of South Australia, a Deputy President of the
Commonwealth Administrative Appeals Tribunal and then prior to
September 2010, a Judge of the Supreme Court of South Australia.
Her strong connection with Aboriginal issues began in the late 1960s
when she commenced pro bono legal work for Aboriginal people charged
prior to the setting up of the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement (ALRM).
She was later appointed by the Commonwealth to be the
solicitor for the Central Aboriginal Land Rights team from 1972-1974,
which lead to the establishment of the Central Aboriginal Land Council.
She later continued her work by acting for either the ALRM or their
clients. Ms Layton continued to support Aboriginal people through
her membership of the Justice Aboriginal Awareness Committee SA, the
Community Protection Panel of the Social Inclusion Unit, and the
Justice Reinvestment Working Group. Ms Layton was
presently Co-Chair of Reconciliation South Australia and a
member of an Advisory Panel which had recommended an amendment to the
SA Constitution to recognise Aboriginal people. She regularly
gave presentations to groups about the need to amend the Federal
constitution, being significantly involved with the “Recognise”
education campaign.
Ms Layton had been the Chair of the Child Protection in South Australia
Review in the early 2000s, a patron of the Migrant Resource Centre and
International Women’s Day Committee, and a Member of the National
Advisory Group of the National Children’s and Youth Law Centre.
She had represented many Aboriginal people, been involved in many Royal
Commissions concerning human rights issues, represented women alleging
discrimination and acted for refugees.
At the international level, Ms Layton had been a member and later the
Chair of the Committee of Experts for the UN International Labour
Office in Geneva for 15 years, and a Commissioner on the Commission of
Inquiry into Forced Labour in Myanmar. Ms Layton had published
extensively on topics relating to judicial and tribunal practice,
health and ethics, and international labour standards and human
rights. She had provided training and workshops on human rights
and international labour standards for judges, lawyers, trade
unionists, as well as working on poverty reduction programmes for women
in the Philippines, Cambodia and Kazakhstan.
Nicholas Linke
Nicholas Linke was awarded the 2013 Justice Award, jointly with the
Honourable Robyn Layton AO QC. At this time, Mr Linke had been
instrumental in the foundation and development of pro bono provider
JusticeNet SA, and had regularly taken on challenging pro bono
cases. He had been the Chair of the Society’s Justice Access
Committee from 1 January 2010 to 31 December 2012.
Mr Linke had provided pro bono work at more than 50 non-profit
organisations, including Catherine House, assisting the homeless or
those who were at risk of homelessness.
He also provided pro bono legal services to emerging artists and
start-up arts organisations, such as SALA and Creative Partnerships
Australia, and was on the Board of many of these organisations.
Mr Linke had recently been awarded the National Arts Community Pro Bono
Award by the Arts Law Centre Australia.