Bernadette Tobin (born 1946) is an Australian Catholic

ethicist An ethicist is one whose judgment on ethics and ethical codes has come to be trusted by a specific community, and (importantly) is expressed in some way that makes it possible for others to mimic or approximate that judgment. Following the advice of ...

and professor of philosophy. She is the daughter of political activist and journalist

B.A. Santamaria Bartholomew Augustine Santamaria, usually known as B. A. Santamaria (14 August 1915 – 25 February 1998), was an Australian Roman Catholic anti-Communist political activist and journalist. He was a guiding influence in the founding of the Demo ...

Education

Tobin was educated at Genazzano College, Kew and received her undergraduate degree from the

University of Melbourne The University of Melbourne is a public research university located in Melbourne, Australia. Founded in 1853, it is Australia's second oldest university and the oldest in Victoria. Its main campus is located in Parkville, an inner suburb no ...

in 1968. She also completed a Masters of Education (1977) and a Master of Arts (1983) at the same institution. Tobin completed her doctoral degree at

Cambridge University The University of Cambridge is a Public university, public collegiate university, collegiate research university in Cambridge, England. Founded in 1209 and granted a royal charter by Henry III of England, Henry III in 1231, Cambridge is the world' ...

in politics.

Career

Tobin began her career as a teacher. She taught philosophy at Mercy Teachers' College, Melbourne and English at Tottenham Technical School. Tobin is a founding director of The Plunkett Centre. The centre was established in 1992 as a joint venture between St Vincent's Hospital and the Australian Catholic University. Tobin was appointed a Senior Lecturer in Philosophy at the Australian Catholic University in 1996. She held this position until 2002. Tobin is an honorary member of the medical faculty at the

University of New South Wales The University of New South Wales (UNSW), also known as UNSW Sydney, is a public research university based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. It is one of the founding members of Group of Eight, a coalition of Australian research-intensiv ...

and the

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD), also known as Sydney University, or informally Sydney Uni, is a public research university located in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in Australia and is one of the country's ...

through the Clinical School at St Vincent's and the Children's Hospital, Westmead respectively. She has been a featured speaker at the Wheeler Centre speaking about faith, religion and spirituality. Tobin has served on the Australian Health Ethics Committee and the Garvan Medical Research Institute ethics committee. As chair of the St John's College, University of Sydney council between 2013 and 2020, she oversaw protracted negotiations that led to the new St John's College Act 2018. In 2017, Tobin was appointed as a life member of the Pontifical Academy. Tobin is married to Terence Tobin QC, who is a former Chancellor of the

University of Notre Dame Australia The University of Notre Dame Australia (UNDA) is a national Roman Catholic private university with campuses in and in Western Australia and Sydney in New South Wales. The university also has eight clinical schools as part of its school of med ...

. As close friends of Cardinal Pell, the Tobins visited him frequently in prison and assisted with his communication with lawyers.

Awards

In the

2016 Queen's Birthday Honours The 2016 Queen's Birthday Honours are appointments by some of the 16 Commonwealth realms of Queen Elizabeth II to various orders and honours to reward and highlight good works by citizens of those countries. The Birthday Honours are awarded as pa ...

, Tobin was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for her work in bioethics, and public advisory and research councils. In 2018, Tobin was made a Dame Grand Cross of the

Order of St. Gregory the Great The Pontifical Equestrian Order of St. Gregory the Great ( la, Ordo Sancti Gregorii Magni; it, Ordine di San Gregorio Magno) was established on 1 September 1831, by Pope Gregory XVI, seven months after his election as Pope. The order is one of ...

, alongside her husband Terence Tobin. The papal award was for her service in ethics and education.

Publications

* * * * Guest editor (with Steve Matthews) of Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics (2016) * Is it justifiable to compel performance by a doctor in violation of conscience? ''Australasian Catholic Record'', January 2019 * Female Genital Mutilation and the role of health-care practitioners (with David Isaacs), ''Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health'', 53, 2017 * Human vulnerability in medical contexts (with Steve Matthews). ''Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics'', 37, 2016. * When doctors and parents disagree. ''Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health'', 50, 2014. * Religious Perspectives on Umbilical Cord Blood Banking (with Jordens, C et al.) ''Journal of Law and Medicine'', 19; 2012. * Spinal muscular atrophy: do the benefits of ventilation compensate for its burdens? (with Gray, K; Isaacs, D; Kilham, H;) ''Journal of Paediatrics and Child Health'', 49, 2013. * * * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tobin, Bernadette Living people 1946 births Australian ethicists Australian philosophers Australian women academics Australian Roman Catholics Officers of the Order of Australia University of Melbourne alumni Alumni of the University of Cambridge Dames Grand Cross of the Order of St Gregory the Great Australian Catholic University faculty People educated at Genazzano FCJ College