Elizabeth Helen Curtain is a retired

judge A judge is a person who presides over court proceedings, either alone or as a part of a panel of judges. A judge hears all the witnesses and any other evidence presented by the barristers or solicitors of the case, assesses the credibility an ...

, serving successively on the benches of the

County Court of Victoria The County Court of Victoria is the intermediate court in the Australian state of Victoria. It is equivalent to district courts in the other states. The County Court is the principal trial court in the state, having a broad criminal and civi ...

and the

Supreme Court of Victoria The Supreme Court of Victoria is the highest court in the Australian state of Victoria. Founded in 1852, it is a superior court of common law and equity, with unlimited and inherent jurisdiction within the state. The Supreme Court comprises ...

, in the

Australia Australia, officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a Sovereign state, sovereign country comprising the mainland of the Australia (continent), Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous List of islands of Australia, sma ...

n state of Victoria, and currently Chair of the Adult Parole Board of Victoria.

Education

Curtain was educated at Loreto-Mandeville Hall and 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 nor ...

, from which she graduated with a

Bachelor of Laws Bachelor of Laws ( la, Legum Baccalaureus; LL.B.) is an undergraduate law degree in the United Kingdom and most common law jurisdictions. Bachelor of Laws is also the name of the law degree awarded by universities in the People's Republic of Chi ...

Career

Curtain was admitted to practise and later signed the Roll of Counsel as a barrister in 1978, practising mostly in

criminal law Criminal law is the body of law that relates to crime. It prescribes conduct perceived as threatening, harmful, or otherwise endangering to the property, health, safety, and moral welfare of people inclusive of one's self. Most criminal law i ...

. She was appointed to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal of Victoria (from its inception) in 1985 to July 1987 and was also a member of the Motor Accidents Board. She was appointed a Prosecutor for the Queen for the State of Victoria from 1987 until 1993, when she was appointed a judge of the County Court. During her tenure at the County Court, she was also Deputy Chairman of the Victorian Racing Appeals Tribunal, the Alternative Chairman of the Youth Parole Board and Alternative Chairman of the Youth Residential Board. On 3 October 2006 Curtain was appointed to the Trial Division of the Supreme Court of Victoria. As a judge of that court she presided almost exclusively in criminal trials. On 29 May 2013, it was announced that Justice Curtain would take over as Chair of the Adult Parole Board, replacing Justice Simon Whelan. Curtain retired from the bench on 8 May 2014. In 2017 Curtain was appointed a

Member of the Order of Australia The Order of Australia is an honour that recognises Australian citizens and other persons for outstanding achievement and service. It was established on 14 February 1975 by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, on the advice of the Australian Gove ...

for significant service to the law, and to the judiciary, in Victoria, to medico-legal and professional groups, and to the community.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Curtain, Elizabeth Living people Year of birth missing (living people) Judges of the Supreme Court of Victoria Judges of the County Court of Victoria 20th-century Australian judges 20th-century Australian women judges 21st-century Australian judges Members of the Order of Australia Melbourne Law School alumni 21st-century women judges People educated at Loreto Mandeville Hall