Toby Hemming
Chief Executive Officer
Toby joined us as Chief Executive Officer in February 2025.
He is an experienced public sector executive and was most recently a deputy secretary at the Department of Justice and Community Safety.
Prior to that, he held senior roles in government departments and statutory authorities including the Department of Premier and Cabinet, County Court of Victoria, Victorian Managed Insurance Authority and Emergency Services Telecommunications Authority (now Triple Zero Victoria).
He has a background in legal practice, policy, regulation and corporate governance. He is deeply committed to access to justice, quality service delivery and using evidence-based policy and law reform to enhance outcomes for Victorians.
Ashley Morris
Executive Director – First Nations Services
Ashley is a Gunditjmara man, born in Traralgon. Before joining us in October 2023, he was manager of Koori services and programs at the Children’s Court of Victoria. In this role, he led the development and delivery of the court’s self-determination plan and effective delivery and expansion of Koori services and programs.
Before this, he was Koori services coordinator at the Broadmeadows Children’s Court. In this role, he led the development and implementation of the Marram-Ngala Ganbu (Koori Family Hearing Day).
Ashley has also held several positions across the Koori justice sector, including in youth justice, corrections, family violence and criminal law.
Cameron Hume
Chief Operating Officer – Community Legal Information and Corporate Services
Cameron was appointed Director of Research and Communications in October 2013. In December 2014 he became our first Director of Corporate Affairs, and in October 2021 he was appointed Chief Operating Officer.
At the Victorian Department of Justice he worked in project, policy and operations management roles. These related to law reform and administration of the justice system.
He also spent several years as a management consultant. This work covered research and evaluation, strategic planning, and organisational and operational reviews. Cameron holds a Masters of Public Policy and Management.
Joanna Fletcher
Executive Director – Family, Youth and Children’s Law
Joanna commenced as Executive Director of Family, Youth and Children’s Law in March 2021.
Prior to joining our organisation, Joanna was the CEO of Women’s Legal Service Victoria for 11 years.
Joanna has previously held roles in government and the community legal sector in policy and law reform.
Kate Bundrock
Executive Director – Criminal Law
Kate became Executive Director of Criminal Law in September 2024.
Since 2004 she has worked in many of our regional and suburban offices including in Shepparton and Preston, and as manager of our Dandenong office.
She has also worked in the Legal Practice directorate, and as director of Summary Crime and Therapeutic Justice where she established Help Before Court and Bail and Remand Court services.
Kate has worked at the Victorian Bar and Mallesons, and at the Supreme Court of Victoria as associate to Justice Osborn.
Peter Noble
Executive Director – Regions and Service Delivery
Peter was appointed Executive Director of Services and Innovation in August 2016.
He joined the board of the Victorian Law Foundation in 2018. In October 2021 he became our Executive Director of Regions and Service Delivery.
With experience in private practice, Peter's career has been predominantly in the community legal sector. His achievements include establishing community legal centres in Bendigo and Shepparton.
He has also championed Australia’s Health Justice Partnership movement.
Rowan McRae
Executive Director – Legal Practice, Civil Justice, and Legal Help
Rowan joined our Equality Law Program at Victoria Legal Aid in 2016.
Prior to that, she worked at the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission, in the Offices of International Law and Constitutional Law at the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department. She also worked as associate to Justice Hayne of the High Court.
She has practised in the private profession and on legal development projects in Indonesia and Timor-Leste. She holds a Masters of Law.
Daniella Calkoen
Director – People and Workplace Services
Daniella joined us as a human resources business partner in 2012 and has since held various roles in our People and Workplace Services team. She worked as Associated Director, Advisory and Operations, before becoming director in April 2023.
She is an experienced business leader and human resources practitioner. She has managed human resource, customer service and operational teams in public sector organisations. This includes the areas of health, financial services and community services industries.
Daniella holds a Bachelor degree in sociology and postgraduate qualifications in human resources, industrial relations, sociology and social work.
Eila Pourasgheri
Director – Family Violence and Family Law
Eila commenced as Director of Families in February 2023.
Before Victoria Legal Aid, Eila was Director of Education and Engagement at Women’s Legal Service Victoria, and had worked at the Victorian Department of Justice.
She has also practised in private practice, and worked in Vanuatu and Cambodia in areas of access to justice and human rights.
Eila is a recipient of the Law Institute of Victoria Distinguished Service Award and holds a Masters of Law.
Elanor Peattie
Director – Summary Crime and Therapeutic Justice
Before becoming director, Elanor was the Associate Director of Therapeutic Justice.
She brings extensive experience working in criminal law as a prosecutor. She has worked in both indictable and summary crime at regional offices and in therapeutic court roles.
At the Judicial College of Victoria she managed education programs for judicial officers and multidisciplinary teams working in therapeutic courts.
Jon Cina
Director – Legal Help
Jon joined Victoria Legal Aid in March 2016 as Associate Director, Access and Equity before his role was elevated to an executive position in 2024.
He currently oversees our Legal Help service, a major entry point to the legal assistance sector and deals with 200,000 requests for assistance each year.
After studying law in Scotland, Jon spent five years with United Nations war crimes tribunals responding to human rights abuses.
He has worked with the Victorian Parliament Law Reform Committee, Department of Justice and Regulation and the Victorian Mental Health Complaints Commissioner, among other roles.
Julia Munster
Chief Counsel – Chambers
Julia commenced as Chief Counsel in October 2020.
She is an experienced trial advocate, and an Accredited Specialist in Criminal Law with 10 years of experience in our Chambers. She is also co-chair of the Law Institute of Victoria’s Accredited Specialisation Criminal Law Advisory Committee.
Before joining us, Julia was a solicitor advocate in the Alice Springs office of the Northern Territory Legal Aid Commission. She also worked on land and native title rights and heritage protection projects for the Central Land Council.
She holds qualifications in law and anthropology, and has a Master of Laws.
Lucy Adams
Director – Civil Justice
Lucy joined us in 2018 as the Manager of Strategic Advocacy and Policy in Civil Justice, before becoming Director of Civil Justice in December 2021.
Prior to this, Lucy was the head of Homeless Law and Advocacy at Justice Connect. She has worked in private practice and on human rights issues locally and internationally.
Lucy has undertaken a Churchill Fellowship on enforcement-based approaches to homelessness. She is on the board of the Council to Homeless Persons.
Martin Edwards
Chief Information and Digital Officer – Digital Transformation and Technology
Martin commenced at Victoria Legal Aid as Chief Information Officer in March 2016.
He has overseen different portfolios including information and communication technology (ICT), records management, built environment, business resilience and digital transformation.
In December 2023, Martin was appointed as Chief Information and Digital Officer.
He has also worked in other significant Victorian government roles including chief information officer and senior ICT related roles in health and justice. Martin is a graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and holds qualifications in management and ICT.
Matthew Dale
Chief Financial Officer – Finance, Planning and Projects
Matthew joined Victoria Legal Aid as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) in July 2019.
Before joining us, he worked at the Environment Protection Authority as the CFO. In this role, he was responsible for the financial, procurement, risk management, compliance and infrastructure operations. It also included financial reporting and strategic advice to the executive and Board.
Matthew has extensive experience in financial management and leadership in both state and federal government roles.
Matthew has been a Certified Practising Accountant since 2006.
Sarah Nieuwenhuysen
General Counsel – Office of the Chief Executive Officer
Sarah started at Victoria Legal Aid in 2012 as an executive manager, before becoming general counsel in 2016.
Before this, she worked in legal, governance, administration and policy roles in the Victorian public service. This included the Departments of Education and Training, Premier and Cabinet and Justice.
Sarah is admitted to practise as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria and began her career in private practice.
Sonia Law
Director – Legal Practice
Sonia Law began as our Director of Legal Practice in October 2024.
From 2022 to 2024 she was deputy public advocate, responsible for the Office of the Public Advocate’s operations. This included guardianship, advice, volunteer programs, quality assurance, complaints and legal functions.
Before this, Sonia was program manager of our Mental Health and Disability Advocacy program and Corporate Counsel at Forensicare.
She has also worked as a lawyer with the Australian Government Solicitor and Victorian Department of Human Services (now Department of Health and Human Services).
Sonia was a non-executive director at Neami National, including three years as Board Chair.
Zione Walker-Nthenda
Director – Client Services and Sector Engagement
Zione commenced as Director, Client Services and Sector Engagement in June 2022.
Prior to this, she was the Director, Community Engagement with the Department of Families, Fairness and Housing.
She was principal advisor with the Department of Premier and Cabinet and Manager, Human Rights with Victoria Police.
She has also worked in legal education and policy roles with Women’s Legal Service Victoria and with us as a lawyer in 2005.
Zione was recently recognised by IPAA Victoria, receiving an award as one of the public sector’s emerging women leaders.
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