James Roland Wood
Encyclopedia
The Honourable James Roland Tomson Wood AO
, QC
is the chairman of Law Reform Commission of New South Wales
, the chairman of the New South Wales Sentencing Council
, the Inspector of the Police Integrity Commission
and a former judge in Australia
.
He attended Knox Grammar and Sydney University graduating with the University Medal in Law in 1964.
in 1964. He was called to the bar
in 1970 and subsequently became a queens counsel.
He was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales
in 1984 and became the Chief Judge at Common Law in 1984 before retiring in 2005.
He served as chairman of the Law Reform Commission of New South Wales
between 1982 and 1984.
During his time as a judge, he served as a royal commissioner in the New South Wales police royal commission.
He is currently a judge of the Fiji Court of Appeal.
He is currently the chairman of both the New South Wales Law Reform Commission and the New South Wales Sentencing Council
.
In November 2008 he released the Report of the Special Commission of Inquiry into Child Protection Services in NSW. The inquiry reported on what changes were required within the child protection system to improve the safety of children and families in NSW.
AO
-Science and technology:* .ao, top-level Internet domain code for Angola* Adaptive optics, an astronomical imaging technology* Arctic oscillation, a climate pattern* The AMSAT-OSCAR satellite naming convention...
, QC
Queen's Counsel
Queen's Counsel , known as King's Counsel during the reign of a male sovereign, are lawyers appointed by letters patent to be one of Her [or His] Majesty's Counsel learned in the law...
is the chairman of Law Reform Commission of New South Wales
Law Reform Commission of New South Wales
The New South Wales Law Reform Commission is a commission to investigate, review and advise on the reform of the law in New South Wales, a state of Australia. The present commission came into existence on 25 September 1967 although it had been administratively established previously in 1966...
, the chairman of the New South Wales Sentencing Council
New South Wales Sentencing Council
The New South Wales Sentencing Council is a body established by the New South Wales Government to provide guidelines and to promote consistency in sentencing of offenders in New South Wales, a state of Australia...
, the Inspector of the Police Integrity Commission
Inspector of the Police Integrity Commission
The Inspector of the Police Integrity Commission is a statutory position which oversees the Police Integrity Commission in New South Wales, a state of Australia.The principal functions of the inspector are to:...
and a former judge in Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
.
Early years
He was born in Sydney in 1941.He attended Knox Grammar and Sydney University graduating with the University Medal in Law in 1964.
Career
He was admitted as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South WalesSupreme Court of New South Wales
The Supreme Court of New South Wales is the highest state court of the Australian State of New South Wales...
in 1964. He was called to the bar
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
in 1970 and subsequently became a queens counsel.
He was appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales
Supreme Court of New South Wales
The Supreme Court of New South Wales is the highest state court of the Australian State of New South Wales...
in 1984 and became the Chief Judge at Common Law in 1984 before retiring in 2005.
He served as chairman of the Law Reform Commission of New South Wales
Law Reform Commission of New South Wales
The New South Wales Law Reform Commission is a commission to investigate, review and advise on the reform of the law in New South Wales, a state of Australia. The present commission came into existence on 25 September 1967 although it had been administratively established previously in 1966...
between 1982 and 1984.
During his time as a judge, he served as a royal commissioner in the New South Wales police royal commission.
He is currently a judge of the Fiji Court of Appeal.
He is currently the chairman of both the New South Wales Law Reform Commission and the New South Wales Sentencing Council
New South Wales Sentencing Council
The New South Wales Sentencing Council is a body established by the New South Wales Government to provide guidelines and to promote consistency in sentencing of offenders in New South Wales, a state of Australia...
.
In November 2008 he released the Report of the Special Commission of Inquiry into Child Protection Services in NSW. The inquiry reported on what changes were required within the child protection system to improve the safety of children and families in NSW.