Jennifer Robinson,

Human rights lawyer

2021 was a personal and professional homecoming for human rights lawyer Jennifer Robinson, who relocated to Sydney after 15 years in the UK. While still working for London’s Doughty Street Chambers across high-profile cases, she has turned her attention to matters closer to home. “It’s made me more committed than ever to creating a more just Australia,” the 40-year-old says of the move.

On her highlights of the year, Robinson lists: “Winning Julian Assange’s extradition case; supporting Amber Heard through Johnny Depp’s defamation case, which he lost because the judge believed her; spending time with First Nations communities; and working with the National Justice Project and Leetona Dungay [mother to David Dungay Jr] to take Australia to the UN over deaths in custody.”

In addition to her legal victories, Robinson launched the Acacia Scholarships in partnership with the Public Education Foundation and recently inked a three-book deal with Allen & Unwin. “The first is about Me Too and the law, explaining how the law is being used to silence women around the world, including here at home in Australia.”

She also has her sights set on international climate justice. “I’m representing Vanuatu in its effort to get an International Court of Justice decision on states’ climate change obligations,” she continues. “[I’m] excited to be working on a Pacific-led initiative to address the climate crisis for nations disproportionately affected by a problem that was not of their making.”

Hope for 2022: “For Australia to adopt and implement the Uluru Statement. And for Australia and the international community to take decisive climate action to ensure that we can still have a future to hope to change.” Jessica Montague