Retiring Northern Territory (NT) Chief Justice Trevor Riley QC, who recently stepped down from the Supreme Court after 18 years, says that Australia needs to do more to prevent the harm caused by alcohol.
Mr Riley has been appointed a Director of the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE), and intends to continue advocating in his retirement for preventive measures to reduce alcohol abuse by working with the independent not-for-profit organisation.
After a distinguished legal career spanning many decades – with 45 years of legal practice, 18 of which have been on the Bench – Trevor Riley understands better than most the ways in which alcohol harms negatively impact the community.
Originally from Western Australia, Mr Riley commenced practice in the Northern Territory in 1974, where he was appointed as Queen’s Counsel in 1989, as Justice of the Supreme Court in 1999, and as Chief Justice from September 2010.
He has an extensive and wide-ranging list of professional, academic and community appointments – including chairing the NT Parole Board, serving on the St John Ambulance (NT) Board, authoring the book The little red book of advocacy, serving as President of the NT Bar Association, and as a lecturer and mentor of law students at Charles Darwin University where he is a Professorial Fellow.
FARE Chairman, Andrew Fairley AM, said the Board was delighted to welcome Trevor Riley as a Director of the Foundation.
“Trevor Riley brings a wealth of relevant experience to the FARE Board. His valuable service to the Northern Territory has been distinguished by his forthright and frank acknowledgement, not only of the harms caused by alcohol, but of the vital need for greater investment in prevention, rehabilitation, and alcohol policy measures that would effectively address the availability, price and aggressive promotion of alcohol,” Mr Fairley said.
Mr Riley said he was honoured to accept the role on the Board of Australia’s leading alcohol research and education organisation.
“I am very pleased to join the Board of FARE, an organisation respected and acknowledged for its leadership and its efforts to reduce alcohol harm throughout Australia, and look forward to working together to further strengthen the evidence-base on alcohol issues and to advocate for effective alcohol policies which will make a difference,” Mr Riley said.
