The Hon Berna Joan COLLIER
Judge, Federal Court of Australia: 8.2.2006
Location: Brisbane
Other Commissions/Appointments:
National and Supreme Courts of Papua New Guinea - Judge
Administrative Review Tribunal - Deputy President
Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory - Additional Judge
Justice Berna Joan Collier was appointed a Federal Court judge on 8 February 2006 and a Judge of the Supreme and National Courts of Papua New Guinea in September 2011. Her Honour is also a part-time Deputy President of the Administrative Review Tribunal (formerly the Administrative Appeals Tribunal) and an additional Judge of the Supreme Court of the Australian Capital Territory.
Justice Collier holds the qualifications of BA, LLB (Hons) (Qld) and LLM (Melb). Her Honour was admitted to practice as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria and the High Court of Australia in 1987, and later as a solicitor of the Supreme Court of Queensland.
Prior to being appointed to the Federal Court, her Honour was one of three national Commissioners of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission from November 2001 until February 2006, a director of the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority from November 2001 until June 2003 and a part-time Commissioner of the Australian Law Reform Commission from 2007 until 2010.
Justice Collier has written widely in relation to aspects of insolvency law, commercial law and medico-legal practice. From July 1997 until February 2006, her Honour was Clayton Utz Professor of Commercial Law at Queensland University of Technology. Justice Collier was awarded the Centenary Medal for service to Australian society through corporate regulation in recognition of her Honour’s work in this area.
Associateship applications
Justice Collier appoints two Associates for 12 months each, with one Associate commencing in February and one Associate commencing in July on a rolling basis. Her Honour invites interested persons to apply no later than two years prior to their proposed commencement month.
Applications should be in the form of a cover letter, brief CV, university transcript and two referees.
Associateship positions for 2024 and 2025 have been filled. The next available position will commence in February 2026.
General information about Associate positions can be found on the Judges' Associates page of the Employment section of the Federal Court website.
Should you have any queries in relation to the process, please contact the Queensland Registry via qldreg@fedcourt.gov.au marked for the attention of the Chambers of Justice Collier.
At October 2024
