Our members

Members of the Authority are appointed by the Governor in Council on the recommendation of the Minister for Corrections.

The Act allows up to ten members, including the Chairperson, Deputy Chairperson, up to three full-time members and up to five sessional members. Members can serve a maximum term of nine years.

The Chairperson and Deputy Chairperson of the Authority must be a judicial officer or a senior lawyer with at least 10 years of experience. Other members must be either a lawyer with at least five years of experience or have expertise and experience relevant to the Authority’s functions.

The current members collectively bring a variety and depth of experience that extends beyond the criminal justice system. This includes experience from public administration, case management, human rights, forensic psychology, mental health, governance, criminological research and victimology. Each member has individual and complementary expertise. The diversity of experience ensures there are dynamic and meaningful discussions and deliberations through which better-informed and more nuanced decisions are made.

Our members:

contribute to our oversight of the post sentence scheme
drive improvement of the quality and consistency of decision making
support our work by engaging with criminal justice system agencies.

Our Chairperson

Felicity Hampel AM SC

Appointed April 2024

Felicity Hampel AM SC is a former barrister and judge who specialised in criminal human rights and administrative law. She was also the Commissioner of the Victorian Law Reform Commission, President of Liberty Victoria, Board Member of the Royal Women’s Hospital and Adjunct Professor at Monash University’s Faculty of Law.

Our Deputy Chairperson

Stuart Ward

Appointed June 2019

Stuart is a senior executive and government lawyer with over 30 years of experience in criminal law, legal management and statutory decision-making. He worked as a prosecutor and manager at the Office of Public Prosecutions for 10 years, including as acting Solicitor for Public Prosecutions for 2008-2009.

Our Full Time Members

Carmel Arthur OAM

Appointed February 2018

Carmel has vast experience in the criminal justice system which has included working with the Courts, Corrections Victoria and Victoria Police. She is not only a victim of crime but has also worked with many victims of crime and brings a wide perspective and breadth of experience from across the victim support system. Carmel is the Chair of the Authority’s Strategy and Engagement Subcommittee.

Dr David Curnow

Appointed October 2020

Appointed October 2020. David was registered as a psychologist in 1998 and received his specialist title of Forensic Psychologist in 2000. In 2011, he was awarded his PhD in Psychology. David’s career spans state and federal governments, private practice and research agencies. He is the Chair of the Authority’s Risk and Audit Subcommittee.

Katherine Byrne

Appointed March 2021 (sessional member) and July 2024 Full Time Member

Kate began her diverse career in court administration before being admitted to practice as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria in 2001. Kate has also worked in state and federal corrections agencies. Kate chairs the Authority’s Practice Subcommittee.

Our Sessional members

Meghan Butterfield

Appointed March 2021

Meghan is a lawyer with almost 30 years of experience. She was admitted to practice as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria in 1997. Meghan is experienced in many legal fields, but her primary area of practice has been acting for victim-survivors of sexual assault.

Dr Karen Gelb

Appointed October 2023

Dr Karen Gelb is a consultant criminologist who has spent more than 20 years researching Australian criminal justice systems. She has published extensively on a range of issues, including sex offending, family violence, specialist courts, public opinion on sentencing, bail and remand, and youth justice.

Judge Helen Syme

Appointed October 2024

Helen is a sessional member and if required, a Deputy Chairperson of the Authority.

Helen has over 35 years’ experience as a judicial officer in three states, most recently as a Reserve Judge of the County Court of Victoria from where she served between 2022 to 2024. Prior to that she was a Judge of the District Court of NSW between 2009 and 2021, Deputy Chief Magistrate NSW , Magistrate Family Court of WA and Magistrate Children’s Court of WA.

Anthony Vitale

Appointed December 2024

Anthony has over 20 years of experience in justice, rehabilitation, social welfare, and clinical governance, including work with not-for-profit organisations such as Beyond Blue. Anthony has extensive experience with the Department of Justice and Community Safety in program, policy and leadership areas where his work has focused on offender management and rehabilitation.

Elicia Savvas