The Hon Berna Joan COLLIER

Judge, Federal Court of Australia: 8.2.2006
Location: Brisbane

Other Commissions/Appointments: 
National and Supreme Courts of Papua New Guinea - Judge
Administrative Appeals Tribunal - Deputy President
Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory - Additional Judge

Justice Berna Joan Collier was appointed a Federal Court judge on 8 February 2006 and a Judge of the Supreme and National Courts of Papua New Guinea in September 2011. Her Honour is also a part-time Deputy President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and an additional Judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory.

Justice Collier is the chairperson of the Design, Delivery and Evaluation Committee at the Papua New Guinea Centre for Judicial Excellence. The Centre aims to deliver structured training programs for judges, magistrates, court officers and other officers of the law and justice sector agencies in Papua New Guinea.

Justice Collier holds the qualifications of BA, LLB (Hons) (Qld) and LLM (Melb). Her Honour was admitted to practice as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria and the High Court of Australia in 1987, and later as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland.

Prior to being appointed to the Federal Court, her Honour was one of three national Commissioners of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission from November 2001 until February 2006, a director of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority from November 2001 until June 2003 and a part-time Commissioner of the Australian Law Reform Commission from 2007 until 2010.

Justice Collier has written widely in relation to aspects of insolvency law, commercial law and medico-legal practice. From July 1997 until February 2006, her Honour was Clayton Utz Professor of Commercial Law at Queensland University of Technology. Justice Collier was awarded the Centenary Medal for service to Australian society through corporate regulation in recognition of her Honour’s work in this area.

Associateship applications

Justice Collier appoints two Associates, generally for a period of 12 months each. Her Honour’s Associates commence in February and July on a rolling basis. Interested persons are invited to apply no later than two years prior to their proposed month of commencement. Applications should indicate which year and month the candidate intends to commence and include a cover letter of no more than two pages, a brief curriculum vitae, university transcript and two referees.

Associateship positions for 2024 and 2025 have been filled. The next available position will commence in July 2026.

Should you have any queries in relation to the process, please contact the Queensland Registry via qldreg@fedcourt.gov.au marked for the attention of the Chambers of Justice Collier.

At January 2024

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