Hugh de Kretser, Chief Executive Officer of the Yoorrook Justice Commission, has been named as the next President of the Australian Human Rights Commission (AHRC).

The AHRC promotes and protects human rights in Australia and plays a critical role in upholding the rights of all Australians to be treated with dignity and live their lives free from discrimination.

The President leads the work of the AHRC and is responsible for managing the administrative affairs of the AHRC.

He will replace current President Rosalind Croucher who has held the role since 2017.

Hugh de Kretser was previously the Executive Director of the Human Rights Law Centre.

He worked on family violence, sexual assault and criminal justice issues for over a decade during his time at the Human Rights Law Centre and his former roles as the Executive Officer of the Victorian Federation of Community Legal Centres (2007–2013) and Manager of the Brimbank Melton Community Legal Centre (2004–2007).

He has been a Director of the Victorian Sentencing Advisory Council and was a Commissioner of the Victorian Law Reform Commission from 2008–2012.

de Kretser’s five-year appointment will commence on 30 July 2024.

Attorney General Mark Dreyfus announced the appointment and congratulated de Kretser.

“I congratulate Mr de Kretser on his appointment and thank him for taking on this important role.” the Attorney General said in a statement.

“I also thank Professor Croucher for her service as President since 2017. In particular, I acknowledge her advocacy to support the Commission retaining its accreditation as Australia’s A-status National Human Rights Institution in 2023.

“Professor Croucher has made a valuable contribution to the human rights discourse in Australia through the Free and Equal: An Australian conversation on human rights project which will culminate at the Commission’s Free and Equal Human Rights Conference in June as part of the Vivid Sydney Festival.” Dreyfus said.