Simon Corbell has announced Dr Bernadette Boss CSC (or Colonel Bernadette Boss CSC if you prefer) is going to be the ACT’s latest magistrate.
“Dr Boss has extensive experience in criminal law and has practiced as a barrister at the private bar since 2002 and in the ACT since 2004.
“Dr Boss also practised across a range of areas including family law, common law, military law, administrative law, and has acted in Children’s Court matters, both criminal and care and protection, making her well equipped to undertake the work of a Magistrate in the ACT.”
Dr Boss holds a PhD in law from Sydney University in the areas of international humanitarian law and human rights law. She has previously been the Vice President of the ACT Bar Association, and has lectured at the ANU Workshop in civil litigation and advocacy. Dr Boss also holds the senior rank of Colonel in the Australian Army Reserve.
Her previous roles include practising as a barrister and a prosecutor in England and Wales in the early 1990’s, and holding positions in Queensland’s Crown Law Office. She was also a legal officer in the Australian Regular Army from 1996 to 2002.
Dr Boss’s appointment arises out the Government’s recent selection process which also resulted in the appointments of David Mossop and Colonel Peter Morrison as magistrates. This process included seeking nominations from key stakeholders and a public notice seeking expressions of interest and nominations to attract a wide range of candidates for the position.
Dr Boss takes to the bench on 11 June, replacing Magistrate Lalor.
UPDATE: And Just because we can [NSFW]:
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What’s Your opinion?
Magistrating like a Boss
Ben_Dover said :
I met someone once who had the formal titles of “Professor Sir”, as in Professor Sir Kroto. Turns out when a Professor gets at Knighthood, they get to use both titles at once.
I tried to send this comment through once already, and failed. If this one makes it, I think you’ll understand that first ‘glitch’. Look at the names of the recent magistrates appointed. Morrison. Mossop. Boss. Notice a certain hint of a pattern? If these names are scratched onto the surface of a Rubik’s cube, which is then correctly adjusted, while aligned with one of the many sculptures adorning Canberra (the pear of agony, for instance) the work will open, to reveal…not the Holy Grail, but a cute Labrador puppy, into whom the brain of David Furner has been grafted, and who sups on pet mince mixed with mead, direct from the original Jules Rimet trophy. The puppy’s brain has been coaching the Raiders these past few months. It all starts to make a weird sort of sense. I’ll let you know how the Vatican is involved after I finish reading The Loser Code.
(I think, after that, if I’m ever up before a Magistrate, I’ll be able to plead insanity.)
Captain RAAF said :
There’s arsehats everywhere.
About 10 years ago, my boss who is an ex naval officer was having a blue with a bloke from another company who was an ex air force office (Sorry Cap’n, but it’s true). Unbelievably, the ex-zoomie tried to pull rank on my boss in the manner of “I used to outrank you when we were both in uniform, therefore you have to do what I say”. Needless to say, this approach did not fly, as it were. In fact, I’ve rarely in my life seen someone shot down like that idiot subsequently was.
Sandman said :
Reserve personnel are only Defence members while they are in uniform and on duty, all other times, even if they are Generals, they are Mr and Mrs or ‘Hey you there!’. I had an MP Major try to pull rank on me while he was in his full time day job as a public servant, Bzzzzt, fail! Almost did his job for breaches of the APS code of conduct!
Well, if we can’t get prison sentences, I suppose 10,000 push-ups is the next best thing.
LTCOL Boss,
You would make the general populace of the ACT very happy if you made a rule of Not giving bail to any miscreant appearing before you who had a prior history.
And would probably save lives 🙂
Duffbowl said :
She’s in the Army Reserve. I wouldn’t think her rank is transferred to her Civilian life. I’ve worked with reservists before and not one of them insisted that I address them by rank. Another uniformed defence personnel may chose to but the civilian population is unlikely to.
qbngeek said :
Yep, like arriving for wars ON TIME, unlike our American ‘mates’ that prefer to be fashionably late.
PS: JB, thanks for the video link, its awesome!!!
johnboy said :
You might have done better to look up the UK Forms of Address considering our military follows thier traditions in most things.
“Dr. Colonel Boss”, that’s not the name of someone you’d want to cross!
Actually I might have misread that the first time around.
I guess the average punter wants to know; will she lock em up, or let em walk..
I’ve trawled the external facing site, but haven’t found anything to back either side of the discussion. Probably in a PACMAN or other manual that are internal only.
The US disagrees: http://www.formsofaddress.info/USA.html
But happy to stand corrected on Australian usage.
“LTCOL Bernadette Boss (Retd), CSC” if you’re referring to her from an ADF point of view. Drop the (Retd) if she’s still in service. Educational qualifications are not recognised, other than ranks relating to trade qualifications (CFN, for example)