Amy Maguire is an Associate Professor in human rights and international law at the School of Law and Justice, University of Newcastle, Australia. She is also co-Director of the Centre for Law and Social Justice. Amy’s research spans several topics in her fields of expertise, including human rights institutions and human rights reform. She also translates research for policy and public audiences, as a member of the Human Rights Advisory Panel to the Queensland Parliament, through submissions to public inquiries and as an author for The Conversation. 

Jesse Clarke is the acting First Assistant Secretary of the International Law & Human Rights Division in the Attorney-General’s Department where he is responsible for the Office of International Law, the Human Rights Branch and the Modern Slavery & Human Trafficking Branch.  Previously, Jesse was an Assistant Secretary in the Office of International Law where he was responsible for practice groups providing advice on international humanitarian law and security, international criminal law, cyber and intelligence law, human rights and refugee law, jurisdiction, immunities and international organisations.  He is also Agent in Australia’s proceedings against Russia in the International Civil Aviation Organisation for the downing of Malaysian Airlines Flight MH17 and for Australia’s intervention in the case concerning Allegations of Genocide under the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide (Ukraine v. Russian Federation) before the International Court of Justice. 

As a dual national, Jesse worked as a legal adviser for the United Kingdom Foreign & Commonwealth Office from 2007-2015, including serving as First Secretary (Legal Affairs) at the UK Mission to the United Nations in New York from 2012-2015 where he advised on a wide range of international legal issues arising from the UK’s foreign policy priorities at the UN. In 2011-2012, Jesse spent a year as a Visiting Lecturer at Harvard Law School where he taught courses on Government Lawyering and International Law. He previously worked in private practice in New York and London and served as an Associate to the Hon. Justice Michael Kirby of the High Court of Australia. 

Jesse holds an LL.M. (International Law) from the University of Cambridge and an LL.B. and B.A. (Hons. Government) from the University of Sydney.
 

Samuel Lucas is Counsellor (Legal) and Alternate Representative of Australia to the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), based in Montréal, Canada.  In this role he undertakes the Australian Government’s Montréal engagement on Australia and the Netherlands’ joint legal case at ICAO against Russia for the downing of Malaysia Airlines Flight MH17.

Having previously served for almost five years as Australia’s Permanent Representative in Montréal and Australian Representative on the organization’s governing Council, Sam has unparalleled experience in ICAO.  As well as representing Australian interests in this United Nations Specialized Agency, he served as Vice President of the Council, and during his term chaired multiple Council committees, facilitating diplomatic outcomes on complex issues such as climate change and the industry’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sam has extensive experience in international aviation with the Department of Infrastructure, including six years as Australia’s chief aviation market access negotiator, negotiating aviation treaties and delivering significant liberalisation of the international aviation industry.  He was responsible for key elements of Australia’s first ever Aviation White Paper, and also headed the implementation of revised aviation liability and consumer protection frameworks, and reviewed Australia’s aviation safety oversight system.

Beyond aviation, Sam has represented Australia in other multilateral forums including the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and the Asia Pacific Telecommunity (APT), and has managed the delivery of essential public services in Australia’s remote territories.  In the private sector Sam has worked in corporate and commercial law in Canada, and in government legal practice in Australia.  

Sam holds a Bachelor of Arts and Bachelor of Laws from the University of Queensland, a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Australian National University, and is an admitted Legal Practitioner in the Australian Capital Territory.