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COAT NSW Newsletter
August 2025
In this edition:
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2025 COAT NSW CONFERENCE – 21 NOVEMBER – REGISTER NOW!
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2025 COAT NSW ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING AND COMMITTEE UPDATE
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2025 WHITMORE LECTURE
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2025 COAT NATIONAL CONFERENCE PHOTOS
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Convenor’s message
As we enter the second half of 2025, I am pleased to share some recent highlights and upcoming events.
I am delighted to report that our AI Revolution in Law seminar series reached a fitting conclusion with the 2025 Whitmore Lecture. Professor Tania Sourdin delivered an outstanding presentation on ‘Artificial Intelligence and Tribunals’ on 21 May. The lecture was very well attended, highly engaging, and generated considerable discussion among attendees. We are very grateful to Professor Sourdin for accepting our invitation to present this important lecture.
The COAT NSW AGM was held on 2 June 2025, and below you can see the new office holders. We warmly welcome new committee members Rachel Da Costa, Steven Davison, and Simon Handebo to the Executive. I would like to extend our sincere thanks to long-time members who stood down at the AGM: Geri Ettinger, Chris Matthies, and Alisa Kelly. Their dedication and contributions to COAT NSW over the years have been invaluable, and we extend our best wishes for the future.
Looking ahead, we are excited about the upcoming COAT NSW Conference to be held on 21 November 2025 at the Pullman Hotel on Hyde Park. This year's theme, "Diversity, Accessibility, and Inclusion," promises a thought-provoking program of sessions directly relevant to our tribunal work. The organising committee has prepared an excellent program of speakers and topics to explore how we can strengthen these principles in practice.
Finally, my sincere thanks to Jason Cabarrús for his continued excellent work as our newsletter editor.
I look forward to continuing our important work together in the months ahead.
Shahyar Roushan
COAT NSW Convenor
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2025 COAT NSW Conference – 21 November – register now
This year’s COAT NSW Conference will be held as an in-person event on Friday 21 November 2025 at the Pullman Hotel on Hyde Park in Sydney.
The conference is themed Diversity, Accessibility & Inclusion and will explore the ways tribunals can better reflect and serve our diverse communities. The program will include a range of sessions focused on inclusive practices, removing barriers to access, and recognising the value of different perspectives within tribunal processes.
Justice Yaseen Shariff of the Federal Court of Australia will be our keynote speaker and will talk about how diversity within judicial and tribunal membership can assist in promoting access to justice. We will have panel sessions on cross cultural communication, and the challenges and benefits of the lived experience of tribunal members, as well as sessions on supporting applicants with disability and children as applicants in tribunal proceedings, plus more.
Whether you are a recently appointed member, a non-legal member, or in a management role, you’ll find content tailored to your needs and interests. More details about the program and confirmed speakers will be available soon.
Discounted earlybird registration is available until 10 October 2025. Go to: https://conferences.com.au/2025-coat-nsw/ for more information and to register.
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2025 COAT NSW annual general meeting and committee update
The COAT NSW AGM was held on 2 June 2025 at 5:00pm via Microsoft Teams.
The committee for 2025/2026, as elected at the meeting or appointed subsequently via a casual vacancy process is as follows:
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Convenor: Shahyar Roushan, Deputy President, Administrative Review Tribunal
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Vice Convenor: Christine Fougere, Member, Mental Health Review Tribunal
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Secretary: Marie Johns, Division Head, Motor Accidents Division, Personal Injury Commission
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Treasurer: Katrina Harry PSM, National Registrar, Veterans’ Review Board
Committee:
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Jason Cabarrús, General Member, Administrative Review Tribunal
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Rachel Da Costa, General Member, Administrative Review Tribunal
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Steven Davison, General Member, NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal
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Simon Handebo, Principal Member, NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal
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Meena Sripathy, Senior Member, Administrative Review Tribunal
Secretariat: Kathryn McKenzie, COAT NSW
The committee wishes to thank outgoing committee members Geri Ettinger, Alisa Kelly and Chris Matthies for their excellent contributions to the committee in recent years.
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2025 Whitmore Lecture
Professor Tania Sourdin delivered the 2025 Whitmore Lecture, titled ‘Artificial Intelligence and Tribunals’, on Wednesday 21 May 2025 in Federal Court Courtroom 18C in the Law Courts Building. We were also joined online by COAT members viewing from across the nation.
Professor Sourdin explained the supportive, replacement and disruptive applications of AI technologies in the context of tribunals, courts and the legal sector. She encouraged us to reflect on the rapid pace of change in this area and how what seemed like science fiction not long ago was now a reality, and on how we can respond and remain relevant. She shared practical examples of use-cases for this technology, while also highlighting risks, ethical issues, and the need to ensure good governance. The lecture provided a fascinating glimpse into what lies ahead for the tribunals of the future.
A copy of the lecture will be posted on the COAT website here once available: https://coat.asn.au/whitmore-lectures/
After the lecture, COAT NSW was delighted to be able to host Professor Sourdin and those who attended for refreshments. COAT NSW thanks the Federal Court for allowing us to host the event at the Court and for facilitating the livestream.
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2025 COAT National Conference Photos
This year’s 2025 COAT National Conference was held on Thursday 5 and Friday 6 June at the Langham, Melbourne and online.
The theme for the conference was ‘Staking Our Claim – Defining Tribunal Values and Embracing Our Role in a Modern Justice System’, and it featured a program packed with high-calibre speakers and engaging panel discussions.
Photos from the conference have now been posted online: https://coatconference.com.au/2025-conference-photos
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