Curriculum vitae | |
James Popple | |
| ADDRESS: | PO Box 5098 GARRAN ACT 2605 AUSTRALIA |
| WORK PHONE: | +61 (02) 6239 9137 |
| E-MAIL: | <james@popple.net> |
| HOME PAGE: | <http://www.popple.net/james/> |
| DATE OF BIRTH: | 4 November 1964 |
| PLACE OF BIRTH: | Mirboo North, Victoria, Australia |
| NATIONALITY: | Australian |
| 1989–93 | Doctor of Philosophy (Computer Science and Law) Thesis: "SHYSTER: A Pragmatic Legal Expert System". Abstract: Most legal expert systems attempt to implement complex models of legal reasoning. This thesis argues that a complex model is unnecessary. It advocates a simpler, pragmatic approach in which the utility of a legal expert system is evaluated by reference, not to the extent to which it simulates a lawyer's approach to a legal problem, but to the quality of its predictions and of its arguments. The thesis describes the development of a legal expert system, called SHYSTER, which takes a pragmatic approach to case law. It discusses the testing of SHYSTER in four different and disparate areas of case law, and draws conclusions about the advantages and limitations of this approach to legal expert system development. |
| 1984–88 | Bachelor of Laws |
| 1983–87 | Bachelor of Arts (Honours) Units in computer science, English, history and mathematics. Thesis: "Incremental Compilation and its Implementation in the PECAN Programming Environment Generator". |
| 1980–83 | Canberra School of Music, Canberra Part-time studies in electronic music. |
| 1981–82 | Phillip College, Canberra Now the Woden campus of the Canberra College. |
| 1977–80 | Melrose High School, Canberra |
| 1970–76 | Torrens Primary School, Canberra |
| SINCE 2010 | Freedom of Information Commissioner, Office of the Australian Information Commissioner, Canberra Merits review of FOI decisions made by Commonwealth ministers, departments and agencies; monitoring, investigating and reporting on compliance with the Freedom of Information Act 1982; assisting departments and agencies to publish information in accordance with the information publication scheme under the Act; and promoting awareness and understanding of the Act and its objects. Appointed, for five years, under the Australian Information Commissioner Act 2010 to exercise the "freedom of information functions", which are about giving the Australian community access to information held by the Commonwealth Government in accordance with the FOI Act, and other Acts. Also able to perform the "privacy functions", which are those functions conferred on the Information Commissioner (by, for example, the Privacy Act 1988) that relate to the privacy of an individual. |
| SINCE 2009 | Adjunct Lecturer, Research School of Computer Science, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Australian National University, Canberra Non-stipendiary research in the information and human-centred computing research group, particularly in the area of legal and government information management. |
| 2009–10 | First Assistant Secretary (Senior Executive Band 2), Civil Law Division, Australian Attorney-General's Department, Canberra Legal and policy advice on Australian Government legal services, bankruptcy and personal insolvency, copyright, classification and international legal services; classification operations; reform of Australian personal property securities law and regulation of the national legal profession; support for the Attorney-General in the performance of his First Law Officer role; administration of the Copyright Act 1968, the Circuit Layouts Act 1989, the Electronic Transactions Act 1999, the Legal Services Directions 2005 and Part 3 of the Parliamentary Entitlements Regulations 1997. |
| 2008–09 | First Assistant Secretary (Senior Executive Band 2), Legal Services and Personal Property Securities Division, Australian Attorney-General's Department, Canberra Reform of Australian personal property securities law; support for the Attorney-General in the performance of his First Law Officer role; legal and policy advice on Australian Government litigation, bankruptcy and personal insolvency; administration of the Legal Services Directions 2005 and Part 3 of the Parliamentary Entitlements Regulations 1997. |
| 1995–2009 | Visiting Fellow, School of Computer Science, College of Engineering and Computer Science, Australian National University, Canberra Non-stipendiary research fellowship; occasional research in computer science and law. |
| 2007–08 | First Assistant Secretary (Senior Executive Band 2), Personal Property Securities Division, Australian Attorney-General's Department, Canberra Reform of Australian personal property securities law. |
| 2007 | First Assistant Secretary (Senior Executive Band 2), Personal Property Securities Taskforce / Legal Services Coordination, Australian Attorney-General's Department, Canberra Reform of Australian personal property securities law; support for the Attorney-General in the performance of his First Law Officer role; legal and policy advice on Australian Government litigation, bankruptcy and personal insolvency, and international legal services; administration of the Legal Services Directions 2005 and Part 3 of the Parliamentary Entitlements Regulations 1997. |
| 2004–06 | First Assistant Secretary (Senior Executive Band 2), Indigenous Justice and Legal Assistance Division, Australian Attorney-General's Department, Canberra Development, implementation and administration of Australian Government policy on legal aid, including management of the Legal Aid Commission program and the Community Legal Services program; administration of schemes for the provision of law and justice programs to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people; provision of legal or financial assistance in matters arising under a number of statutory and non-statutory schemes. |
| 2004 | First Assistant Secretary (Senior Executive Band 2), Indigenous Law and Justice Division, Australian Attorney-General's Department, Canberra Administration of schemes for the provision of law and justice programs to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people. |
| 2004 | Assistant Secretary (Senior Executive Band 1), Administrative Law and Civil Procedure Branch, Civil Justice Division, Australian Attorney-General's Department, Canberra Legal and policy advice on the federal administrative law system; appointments to tribunals; civil procedure and evidence; international civil procedure. |
| 2003 | Assistant Secretary (Senior Executive Band 1), Legal Assistance Branch, Family Law and Legal Assistance Division, Australian Attorney-General's Department, Canberra Administration of 25 schemes for legal or financial assistance. |
| 2001–03 | Executive Adviser (Senior Executive Band 1), Australian Attorney-General's Department, Canberra Legal and policy advice to the Secretary, and to Ministers and departmental officers; liaison with other agencies; project work; coordination within the Department and with other agencies. |
| 1999–2001 | Director (Principal Legal Officer), Tribunal Reform Section, Administrative and Procedural Justice Branch, Civil Justice Division, Australian Attorney-General's Department, Canberra Development of legislation to establish an Administrative Review Tribunal; legal and policy advice, especially in relation to reform of the federal merits review system. |
| 1997–2000 | Staff Tutor, Burgmann College, Australian National University, Canberra After-hours; responsible for the College's tutorial system, and academic matters in general; assistant to the College Principal. |
| 1998–99 | Senior Legal Officer, Privacy Section, Information Law Branch, Information and Security Law Division, Australian Attorney-General's Department, Canberra Legal and policy advice, especially on the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and other legislation raising information privacy issues. |
| 1998 | Government Lawyer, Federal Jurisdiction Section, Civil Justice Branch, Civil Law Division, Australian Attorney-General's Department, Canberra Legal and policy advice, especially in relation to Commonwealth courts and tribunals. |
| 1996–98 | Deputy Registrar, High Court of Australia, Canberra Organizational support of the High Court in the discharge of its functions; responsible for the administration of matters filed in the Canberra, Brisbane, Darwin and Perth offices of the Registry. |
| 1995 | Associate to Justice Mary Gaudron, High Court of Australia, Canberra Legal research for Justice Gaudron. |
| 1994 | [Travelling in Europe] |
| 1993 | Associate Lecturer (Academic Level A), Department of Computer Science, Australian National University, Canberra Course coordinator and tutor for units in discrete mathematics and information systems. |
| 1987–91 | Tutor, Department of Computer Science, Australian National University, Canberra Part-time; preparation and presentation of tutorials for first-year computer science units. |
| 1989 | College Officer, Burgmann College, Australian National University, Canberra After-hours administration, especially of conferences. |
| 1989 | Programmer, Department of Computer Science, Australian National University, Canberra UNIX system administration and application development. |
| 1987–88 | Programmer, Hewlett-Packard Australia Ltd, Australian Software Operation, Melbourne UNIX application development during university vacation. |
| 1985–87 | Clerical officer, Stamp Duties Office, Melbourne Legal clerical work; 2–4 months each year during university vacations; now part of the State Revenue Office. |
| SINCE 1985 | Councillor |
| 1990–93 and 2003–05 | Secretary of Council |
| 1997–2000 | Staff Tutor |
| 1989 | College Officer |
| 1986–87 | Tutor |
| 1986/87 | President, Residents' Association |
| SINCE 1991 | Honorary Life Member |
| 1990/91 | President |
| 1989–92 | Postgraduate Representative Council, member |
| 1991–92 | Sports Union Council, Postgraduate student representative |
| 1990/91 | Council, Postgraduate student representative |
| 1987/88 | Council, Undergraduate student representative |
| 1987/88 | Student Representative Council, General representative |
| 2007 | Australia and New Zealand School of Government Executive Fellows Program for Senior Public Sector Executives, participant |
| 2006–07 | Taxation Test Case Funding Review Panel, member |
| 2001–05 | Australian Attorney-General's Department, member audit committee |
| SINCE 1986 | National Gallery of Australia Association, member |
| SINCE 1987 | Amnesty International Australia, member |
| SINCE 1990 | Australian National University Union, life member |
| SINCE 1992 | High Court of Australia, barrister |
| SINCE 1992 | Supreme Court of NSW, barrister |
| SINCE 1992 | Supreme Court of the ACT, barrister and solicitor |
| SINCE 1993 | Supreme Court of Victoria, barrister and solicitor |
| SINCE 1996 | Journal of Law, Information and Science (ISSN 0729-1485), member editorial board |
| 2001 | Australia Day Achievement Medallion Awarded by the Australia Day Council, on the recommendation of the Secretary of the Attorney-General's Department, for significant contribution in advising the Attorney-General on administrative review system reform. |
| 1990–93 | Australian National University PhD Scholarship |
| 1991 | Telecom Student Innovator Award |
| 1990 | Sigma Data Postgraduate Research Award |
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| Home page: | <http://www.popple.net/james/> |
| E-mail: | <james@popple.net> |
| Last modified: | 21 January 2012 |