Members of Catholic Professional Standards Limited (CPS) today announced the appointment of Professor The Hon Michael Lavarch AO and Dr Robyn Miller PhD as Directors of the Company.

Professor Lavarch has had extensive involvement in Australian public life, and served in local government before being elected to Federal Parliament in 1987, serving as Attorney General in the Keating Government.

Since leaving Parliament in 1996, Professor Lavarch has been the Secretary General of the Law Council of Australia, Dean of Law at QUT and, since 2012, Commissioner at the Australian Skills Quality Authority (ASQA). He has worked with organisations supporting child welfare programs including the Forde Foundation which was established by the Queensland Government in response to the findings into the abuse of children in Queensland Institutions.

Dr Robyn Miller brings over 30 years’ experience in the community sector, local government and child protection areas, and has practised in the public and private sectors as a therapist, clinical supervisor, consultant and lecturer.

From 2006-15 Dr Miller provided professional leadership as the Chief Practitioner within the Department of Human Services in Victoria, and has worked as a consultant with the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Since 2015, she has worked as the CEO of MacKillop Family Services, provider of specialist services to vulnerable and disadvantaged children, young people and their families in Victoria, New South Wales and Western Australia.

In welcoming both Professor Lavarch and Dr Miller, CPS Member representative and Vice President of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, Archbishop Mark Coleridge said, “We are confident that both Michael and Robyn will bring not only a wealth of experience and expertise in their fields, but enlightened and incisive perspectives to our operations.

“They will be tremendous assets, and we welcome them warmly to our Board of Directors.”

Professor Lavarch and Dr Miller join The Hon Geoffrey Giudice AO, Ms Patricia Faulkner AO and the Hon John Watkins AM on the Board, which will operate and function independently of Church.

The Chair of CPS, Geoff Giudice, welcomed the appointments saying: “The new Directors have skills and experience which will be invaluable in carrying out CPS’ functions – particularly in the areas of child protection and quality standards.”

Sr Ruth Durick, President of Catholic Religious Australia, and CPS Member representative, also welcomed the new Directors: “I’d like to welcome both Robyn and Michael as new Directors and feel confident that the wisdom, skills and expertise which they bring to the Board, will enrich its capacity to achieve the outcomes so deeply desired in our Church today.”

CPS was established by the Catholic Church in Australia in November 2016 to develop, audit and report on compliance with professional standards across Catholic entities, and represents a national Church response to the safeguarding of vulnerable people.