Robert John Cornall is a retired Australian senior public servant, he was head of the Attorney-General's Department between 2000 and 2008.

Early life

Robert Cornall was born in

Melbourne Melbourne ( ; Boonwurrung/Woiwurrung: ''Narrm'' or ''Naarm'') is the capital and most populous city of the Australian state of Victoria, and the second-most populous city in both Australia and Oceania. Its name generally refers to a met ...

. He attended Wesley College, then studied for a Bachelor of Laws degree at 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 ...

, graduating in 1968.

Public service career

In January 1968, Cornall took up a position in the lawfirm Oswald Burt & Co (later Middeltons Oswald Burt, Solicitors). He was promoted to Partner of the firm in July 1972. Cornall left Middeltons Oswald Burt, Solicitors in 1987 and moved to a position as Executive Director and Secretary of the not-for-profit member-based

Law Institute of Victoria Law is a set of rules that are created and are enforceable by social or governmental institutions to regulate behavior,Robertson, ''Crimes against humanity'', 90. with its precise definition a matter of longstanding debate. It has been vari ...

. Between December 1995 and December 1999, Cornall was the Managing Director of

Victoria Legal Aid Victoria Legal Aid (VLA), formerly the Legal Aid Commission of Victoria, is an organisation that provides information, legal advice and education with a focus on the prevention and early resolution of legal problems. They prioritise intensive l ...

. Cornall was appointed Secretary of the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department in 2000. In the wake of the September 11 terrorist attacks on the United States, the Attorney-General's Department was responsible for implementing the Howard government's national security agenda. The department grew rapidly in numbers under Cornall's leadership, from 550 staff to over 1500. Cornall retired from the Attorney-General's Department in July 2008. On 30 July 2017 he became Acting President of the

Australian Law Reform Commission The Australian Law Reform Commission (often abbreviated to ALRC) is an Australian independent statutory body established to conduct reviews into the law of Australia. The reviews, also called inquiries or references, are referred to the ALRC by ...

Public profile and enquiries

*As Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department he commented on the alleged torture of

Mamdouh Habib Mamdouh Habib (born 3 June 1955) is an Egyptian and Australian citizen with dual nationality, best known for having been held for more than three years by the United States as an enemy combatant, by both the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and ...

. He stated there was no substance to the allegations; however, the Australian Government later settled with Habib out of court. *After his retirement Cornall conducted an investigation for the Australian Government into allegations of sexual abuse at

Manus Island Manus Island is part of Manus Province in northern Papua New Guinea and is the largest of the Admiralty Islands. It is the fifth-largest island in Papua New Guinea, with an area of , measuring around . Manus Island is covered in rugged jungles w ...

. *Review of conflict of interest of members of

Great Barrier Reef Marine Park Authority The Great Barrier Reef Marine Park protects a large part of Australia's Great Barrier Reef from damaging activities. It is a vast multiple-use Marine Park which supports a wide range of uses, including commercial marine tourism, fishing, ports an ...

regarding dumping in the Park. *In February 2014 he was appointed to conduct 'a review into the circumstances surrounding the Manus Island disturbances, in which an Iranian detainee (

Reza Berati Reza Barati was a 23-year-old asylum seeker who was killed during rioting at the Manus Island Regional Processing Centre (MIRPC), Papua New Guinea, on 17 February 2014. An Iranian Kurd, he had arrived in Australia on 24 July 2013 – just five day ...

) was killed, with the primary focus on management of security at the centre.

Awards

In 2006, Cornall was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia for service to the community through contributions to the development of public policy, particularly counter-terrorism arrangements in a changing global security environment and through providing advice and governance across a diverse range of responsibilities within the civil justice system.

Notes

References and further reading

* * {{DEFAULTSORT:Cornall, Robert Living people Australian public servants University of Melbourne alumni Officers of the Order of Australia Year of birth missing (living people)