Annabelle Bennett

{{Infobox officeholder

| honorific-prefix = The Honourable Dr

| name = Annabelle Bennett

| honorific-suffix = {{post-nominals|country=AUS|size=100%|sep=,|AC|SrC|FAA}}

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| order =

| office = Judge of the Federal Court of Australia

| term_start = 5 May 2003

| term_end = 23 March 2016

| appointer =

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| predecessor =

| office2 = 8th Chancellor of Bond University

| predecessor2 = Helen Nugent

| term_start2 = 19 April 2016

| term_end2 = 24 May 2024

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| occupation = Judge, lawyer

| education = University of Sydney
University of New South Wales

| birth_name = Annabelle Claire Darin

| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1950|1|8}}

| birth_place = Sydney, Australia

| spouse = {{marriage|David Bennett|17 June 1972}}

| children =

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| succeeded2 = David Baxby

}}

Annabelle Claire Bennett {{post-nominals|country=AUS|sep=,|AC|SrC|FAA}} (nee Darin; born 8 January 1950) was the eighth Chancellor of Bond University and a former Judge of the Federal Court of Australia.

Early life and education

Annabelle Claire Bennett{{cite web | title=Search [Annabelle Bennett | website=ConnectWeb | url=https://connectweb.com.au/search.aspx?f=1&q=annabelle+bennett&c=austrailia&pub=all#results | access-date=8 April 2024| quote= The Hon. Annabelle Claire BENNETT}} (born Darin) was born on 8 January 1950{{cite book|title=Who's Who in Australia|publisher=ConnectWeb}}{{cite web| url=https://www.hkiac.org/cv-download/834/4020/BENNETT+AO+SC+Annabelle| title= The Hon. Dr ANNABELLE BENNETT AC SC|date= 2021| publisher= Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre}} in Sydney, Australia, to Emanuel Darin (born Finkelstein) and Raissa Darin (born Atlas).{{cn|date=April 2024}}

Bennett's father was a lawyer, and at an early age she had hopes of following him into the legal profession. Her father, however, thought that law was a bad career choice for women, because "you had to be better than the best to break even"{{cite journal|last=Jerums |first=Georgina |title=A Top Honour |journal=Management Today |date=January 2009 |publisher=Australian Institute of Management |url=http://www.aim.com.au/DisplayStory.asp?ID=693 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131003022851/http://www.aim.com.au/DisplayStory.asp?ID=693 |archive-date=2013-10-03 }} and discouraged his daughter from pursuing this ambition. Instead, Bennett studied science at the University of Sydney and completed a Ph.D. in Biochemistry at the same institution.{{cn|date=April 2024}}

In 1980, still interested in the legal profession, Bennett went on to study law at the University of New South Wales.

Career

After graduating from the University of New South Wales, Bennett began practising as a barrister, specialising in intellectual property law.{{cite web|title=Ceremonial Sitting of the Full Court to farewell the Honourable Justice Bennett AO|date=14 March 2016|url=http://www.fedcourt.gov.au/digital-law-library/judges-speeches/speeches-former-judges/justice-bennett/bennett-j-20160414|publisher=Federal Court of Australia|access-date=24 August 2017}}

Bennett was appointed to the Federal Court of Australia on 5 May 2003. Bennett was also an additional Judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory and a presidential member of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Bennett is arbitrator of the Court of Arbitration for Sport and was named for the special arbitration panel to operate during the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.{{Cite news|url=http://www.theaustralian.com.au/sport/rio-olympics/rio-olympics-canberra-judge-annabelle-bennett-on-arbitration-panel/news-story/db9986018f9a4132b53e60235b940b01|title=Rio Olympics: Canberra judge Annabelle Bennett on arbitration panel|last=Jeffery|first=Nicole|date=9 December 2015|work=The Australian|access-date=9 August 2016}} Bennett retired from the Federal Court on 23 March 2016,{{cite web|title=Former Judges of the Federal Court|date=29 March 2012 |publisher=Federal Court of Australia|url=http://www.fedcourt.gov.au/about/judges/former-judges|access-date=24 August 2017}} and now practises as a consultant barrister, mediator and arbitrator at 5 Wentworth.{{cite web|title=The Hon Dr Annabelle Bennett AO SC|publisher=5 Wentworth|url=http://5wentworth.com.au/senior-counsel/the-hon-dr-annabelle-bennett-ao-sc|access-date=24 August 2017}}

In April 2016, Bennett became the eighth Chancellor of Bond University in Queensland.{{cite web|title=8th Chancellor and the new Council|publisher=Bond University|url=https://bond.edu.au/news/47772/8th-chancellor-and-new-council|access-date=24 August 2017}} After eight years in the role, she was replaced by David Baxby, a graduate of the university.{{Cite web |title=David Baxby |url=https://bond.edu.au/profile/david-baxby |access-date=2025-04-18 |website=Bond University |language=en}}

On 20 February 2020, Bennett was appointed as a commissioner to the Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements.{{cite web |date=20 February 2020 |title=Letters Patent |url=https://www.pm.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/tor-nat-royal-commission-black-summer-bushfires.pdf |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200226112004/https://www.pm.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/tor-nat-royal-commission-black-summer-bushfires.pdf |archive-date=2020-02-26 |access-date=20 February 2020 |work=Royal Commission into National Natural Disaster Arrangements |publisher=Prime minister of Australia}}

In 2022, the Albanese government commissioned an Independent Review of Australian Carbon Credit Units, that reported in December 2022. The independent panel was composed of Ian Chubb AC (chair), Bennett, Ariadne Gorring, and Stephen Hatfield Dodds.[https://www.dcceew.gov.au/climate-change/emissions-reduction/independent-review-accus Independent Review of Australian Carbon Credit Units], Department of Climate Change, Energy, the Environment and Water, accessed 2023-01-11

Awards and honours

Bennett was made an Officer of the Order of Australia in 2005, for "service to the law, particularly in the areas of intellectual property, administrative law and professional conduct; and to the community through a range of educational, medical, women's and business organisations".{{cite web|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/1057554 |title=BENNETT, Annabelle Claire |website=Australian Honours search facility |date=13 June 2005 |access-date=6 December 2017}}

In 2011, she received the honorary degree of doctor of the university from the Australian National University.{{cite web|title=Roll of honour|date=28 July 2015|url=http://www.anu.edu.au/about/awards-achievements/roll-of-honour|publisher=Australian National University|access-date=24 August 2017}}

She was upgraded to a Companion of the Order of Australia (AC) in the 2019 Queen's Birthday Honours.{{Cite web|url=https://honours.pmc.gov.au/honours/awards/2004567|title=The Honourable Dr Annabelle Claire Bennett AO SC|website=honours.pmc.gov.au|access-date=2019-06-09}} In 2016 she received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree from the University of New South Wales.{{cite web|title=Honorary Degrees|url=https://www.unsw.edu.au/about-us/honorary-degree-and-fellowship-holders|publisher=UNSW Sydney|access-date=25 January 2019}}

In May 2020 Bennett was elected Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science.{{Cite web|title=Annabelle Bennett|url=https://www.science.org.au/profile/annabelle-bennett|website=Australian Academy of Science|language=en|access-date=2020-05-25}}

Personal life

Annabelle Bennett is married to David Bennett, the former Commonwealth Solicitor-General.

Outside of the courtroom, Bennett's interest in biological sciences has continued, and she has been involved in a number of committees, including the Genetic Manipulation Advisory Committee, the Biotechnology Task Force and the Gene Patenting Advisory Committee of the Australian Law Reform Commission. She has also served as a Director of the Sydney Children's Hospital and Neuroscience Research Australia and is a former president of the Australian Academy of Forensic Sciences. In 2012, she was appointed Chair of the National Health and Medical Research Council.{{cite web|title=Members of Council 2012–2015 triennium|publisher=National Health and Medical Research Council|url=https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/about/council-nhmrc/members-council-2012-15-triennium|access-date=24 August 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170501065241/https://www.nhmrc.gov.au/about/council-nhmrc/members-council-2012-15-triennium|archive-date=1 May 2017|url-status=dead

}}

Bennett is also a past President of Chief Executive Women, a former Trustee of the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust. She was a member of the Reference Group for the APEC Women Leaders' Network Meeting 2007 and the Head of the Australian Delegation to the APEC Women Leaders' Network Meeting 2008 in Peru.{{cn|date=April 2024}}