About the LECC

The Honourable Peter Johnson SC was appointed as the Chief Commissioner of the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission in July 2022.

Chief Commissioner Johnson graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in 1972, a Bachelor of Laws in 1975 and a Master of Laws in 1982, all from the University of Sydney. He was admitted as a solicitor in 1976 and worked from 1976 to 1982 in the Public Solicitor’s Office (now Legal Aid NSW), appearing in criminal proceedings in Courts of Petty Sessions, the District and Supreme Courts. He was admitted as a barrister in 1982, and appointed as Senior Counsel in 1997, and practised at the private bar in a range of matters including criminal trials and appeals, administrative law and health disciplinary proceedings, as well as extensive experience as Counsel Assisting (or Counsel for an interested party) before Royal Commissions, Special Commissions of Inquiry, the Police Integrity Commission, the Independent Commission Against Corruption, coronial inquests and inquiries under s 475 Crimes Act 1900.

Inquires with a policing context in which Chief Commissioner Johnson appeared included the Blackburn Royal Commission in 1988-1989 (as junior Counsel Assisting), the inquest concerning the suspected death of Christopher Dale Flannery in 1994 ‑ 1996 (as Counsel Assisting), the Royal Commission into the NSW Police Service in 1995 – 1996 (as Counsel for the Police Board of NSW) and the Police Integrity Commission Phase II and Phase III Operation Saigon hearings in 1999 ‑ 2001 concerning the fatal shooting by police officers of Roni Levi (as Senior Counsel Assisting).

In 1998 – 1999 Chief Commissioner Johnson sat from time to time as an Acting Judge of the District Court of NSW, hearing and determining civil proceedings.

In 2003 – 2004, Chief Commissioner Johnson was an Assistant Commissioner at an inquiry by the Independent Commission Against Corruption, which recommended prosecuting a member of Parliament for having made deliberately false and misleading statements to the Commission about using his official staff to help establish a private gaming consultancy which he proposed to operate after his retirement from Parliament.

In 2005, Chief Commissioner Johnson was appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court, where he sat in the Common Law Division. He served as Possession List Judge (2005 - 2009) and Criminal List Judge (2013 – 2017). He presided at a wide range of criminal and civil trials and also sat frequently as an appellate judge in the Court of Criminal Appeal. He has also served as a part time Commissioner of the NSW Law Reform Commission, contributing to criminal law reform in the areas of sentencing and criminal appeals.

As a trial and sentencing Judge, Chief Commissioner Johnson presided in a wide range of proceedings including charges of murder, manslaughter, terrorism, female genital mutilation, tax fraud and money laundering.

Since 1986 Chief Commissioner Johnson has been a Joint author of “Criminal Practice and Procedure (NSW)”, LexisNexis.

Ms Johnson has degrees in law and sociology from Murdoch University and a Master of Laws (Research) from the Australian National University, which she completed with the help of a Lionel Murphy Scholarship.

She was appointed as Commissioner of LECC in May 2022.

Ms Johnson held the position of Deputy President (Forensic) at the NSW Mental Health Review Tribunal from 2012 to 2022, where she sat in both the Forensic and Civil Divisions of the Tribunal.  She was also involved in strategic issues in relation to forensic mental health, including significant legislative reform.

Prior to her appointment to the Tribunal, Ms Johnson was a Senior Solicitor and Solicitor Advocate in the NSW Crown Solicitor’s Office for 12 years, where she appeared in complex matters, including as Counsel Assisting the Coroner in coronial inquests relating to policing matters.

Ms Johnson is an Adjunct Associate Professor with the University of NSW and has published and presented in the areas of mental health, criminal law and administrative law.

Ms Christina Anderson holds the position of CEO and is responsible for the delivery of all corporate services to the Commission, including the employment of staff with the necessary skills and experience to perform the functions of the Commission within its statutory and budgetary framework.

Ms Anderson is a member of CPA Australia, has a strong background in Government finance having worked in a number of agencies including the Royal Commission into the NSW Police Service, Sydney Opera House Trust and the Department of Environment.  She returned to the Police Integrity Commission as Finance Manager in 2008 before joining LECC in 2017.

Mr Gary Kirkpatrick holds the position of Executive Director Operations and is responsible for the performance and conduct of the Oversight and Integrity Divisions of the Commission.

Mr Kirkpatrick was a Federal Agent in the Australian Federal Police prior to being appointed a Manager then later the Director Operations within the Police Integrity Commission. At the commencement of the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission, he was appointed as Director Integrity Investigations and was later appointed the Executive Director Operations.