Jonathon Hunyor

Jonathon has been the CEO of PIAC since August 2016. He is an experienced lawyer, manager, strategic thinker and leader of diverse teams.

Jonathon has over 25 years’ experience working as a lawyer on social justice issues. He has practised in NSW and the Northern Territory in areas including discrimination and human rights, migration and refugee law, Aboriginal land rights, criminal law, and coronial inquests.

As the Principal Legal Officer at the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency in Darwin (2010-2016), Jonathon led the organisation’s criminal and civil practices across the Top End of the Northern Territory. He maintained a practice in criminal law and coronial inquests, regularly appearing as counsel the Court of Appeal, Court of Criminal Appeal, Supreme Court and Local Court. Jonathon also featured in local and national media as an expert commentator on law and justice issues impacting upon Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people in the NT, including mandatory sentencing.

Jonathon was the Director of Legal Services at the Australian Human Rights Commission from 2007-2010, where he appeared on behalf of the Commission, President and Commissioners as intervener and amicus curiae in discrimination and human rights cases and was counsel assisting the National Inquiry into Children in Immigration Detention.

Prior to this, Jonathon worked as a lawyer at the Central Land Council in Alice Springs and the NT Legal Aid Commission in Darwin. He has taught discrimination law at the University of NSW and has published widely in academic and professional journals.

Jonathon is a Director of the Australian Pro Bono Centre and on the board of Community Legal Centres NSW.