Australia appoints new reviewer of security agency
Robert Cornall has been announced as Australia’s new Independent Reviewer of Adverse Security Assessments, examining one of Australia’s security agencies.
Cornall started the role on Thursday and has been appointed for a two-year term.
In his new role, he will review adverse security assessments given by the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) – Australia’s national security service – to the Department of Immigration and Border Protection in relation to people who remain in immigration detention.
The reviewer examines all material consulted by ASIO in making the security assessment, as well as other relevant material, and forms an opinion on whether the assessment is an appropriate outcome. The reviewer’s recommendations go to the director-general of security, who makes the final decision.
Since the establishment of the office of the Independent Reviewer in 2012, the majority of reviews conducted have confirmed ASIO’s initial assessment, the government said in a press release.
Cornall has a background in legal practice, government administration and public policy.
He is a former secretary of the Commonwealth attorney-general’s department.
Previous to his current appointment, he was the chair of Australia’s Defence Abuse Response Taskforce.
He was awarded Officer of the Order of Australia for service to the community in developing public policy in January 2006.
Cornall is filling the vacancy left by Margaret Stone, who left the role of reviewer on 24 August this year to start as new inspector-general of intelligence and security – the chief watchdog of the country’s intelligence services.
See also: News: Margaret Stone To Monitor Australia’s Intelligence Agencies
About Winnie Agbonlahor
Winnie is news editor of Global Government Forum. She previously reported for Civil Service World - the trade magazine for senior UK government officials. Originally from Germany, Winnie first came to the UK in 2006 to study a BA in Journalism & Russian at the University of Sheffield. She is bilingual in English and German, and, after spending an academic year abroad in Russia and reporting for the Moscow Times, Winnie also speaks Russian fluently.
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