2026 Melbourne Legal Laneway Breakfast

Before entering Parliament, Sonya was a lawyer in commercial litigation and banking and finance. She also worked for the Kimberley Land Council in Broome and was on the Board of The National Theatre and Back to Back Theatre.

Sonya believes that Victorians have much to be proud of, and an extraordinary opportunity to cement our state as a world leader in many areas. This is what prompted her to run for Parliament.

The priorities Sonya has for her community are to ensure equal and fair access to services close to home. She wants her community to be proud of the local area, and work together to create a vibrant, engaging, inclusive and welcoming place for everyone.

Sonya’s vision for Victoria’s future is that it is an outstanding place to live and work. She wants to see an inclusive state with a strong emphasis on technological innovation, local manufacturing, educational pathways, and a continuing commitment to equality.

The areas of public policy that she is most passionate about are all about creating jobs for the future. This includes education and training, transitioning our energy sector to renewables, and unlocking opportunities for women in the workforce.

‍

The Honourable Chief Justice Richard Niall was appointed as the 13th Chief Justice of Victoria from 3 February 2025 following a long and distinguished career.

His Honour commenced practice in 1990. He was Associate to the Hon Justice Ryan of the Federal Court before signing the Bar Roll in 1995. His Honour was appointed silk in 2010. He was then appointed as Solicitor-General for Victoria in 2015. In 2017 his Honour was appointed as a judge of appeal of the Supreme Court of Victoria.

The Chief Justice also serves as the Chair of the Courts Council, which is the governing body of Court Services Victoria. Courts Services Victoria is the independent statutory body providing services and facilities to Victoria’s courts, VCAT and other Victorian statutory entities.

The Chief Justice is also the chair of the Judicial College of Victoria and the Judicial Commission of Victoria.

The Chief Justice is a Senior Fellow at the University of Melbourne, teaching public law and separation of powers in the graduate program. His Honour is a Fellow of Monash University and the Australian Academy of Law, and a member of the Australian Judicial Officers Association; the Australian Association of Constitutional Law; and the Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration.

Fiona was appointed Victorian Legal Services Commissioner and CEO of the Legal Services Board in January 2018. She was reappointed to the role for a second five-year term on 8 January 2023.Fiona is the former CEO of the access to justice organisation, Justice Connect, and has previously held a number of senior roles, including General Counsel and Company Secretary at World Vision Australia and Special Counsel at Clayton Utz.

Fiona has a BA (Hons) from the University of Melbourne majoring in psychology with honours in criminology, an LLB from the University of NSW and an LLM in public and international law from the University of Melbourne. She also has an LLM in public service law from the New York University Law School and has attended both the Harvard and Stanford Business Schools, where she completed the Stanford Executive Program in 2017.

Fiona is the Co-Chair of Equality Australia and the chair of the Australian Communities Foundation. She was the inaugural Deputy Chair of the Australian Not-for-Profit and Charities Commission Advisory Board for five years, was on the board of the Human Rights Law Centre from 2010to 2017 and the inaugural Board Chair of Health Justice Australia from 2016 until 2023.

Tim Goodwin is a barrister at the Victorian Bar and practices primarily in commercial and public law. Tim was Junior Counsel Assisting the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory and was Junior Counsel Assisting the Yoorrook Justice Commission in Victoria. Prior to joining the Bar, Tim worked at Allens as a solicitor for three years in commercial litigation, and in banking and finance.

Before joining Allens, Tim served as Associate to Justice North and Justice Bromberg of the Federal Court of Australia. He also served as Foreign Law Clerk to Justice Skweyiya of the Constitutional Court of South Africa.

Tim has a Bachelor of Arts and Laws (with Honours) from the Australian National University and a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School.

Tim is a member of the Yuin people of the South East Coast of New South Wales. He serves on a number of boards, including as a Board Member of Museums Victoria and the Aurora Education Foundation. He is also a member of the Advisory Council to Sport Integrity Australia.

‍