Special guests have been announced for the 3^rd National Rural Law and Justice Alliance Conference hosted by Charles Sturt University (CSU) in Orange on Friday 3 and Saturday 4 July.

CSU Professor of Jurisprudence Steve Redhead said the conference program has been finalised and he is delighted that The Hon. Chris Kourakis, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of South Australia, and Dr Cassandra Goldie, CEO of the Australian Council of Social Services (ACOSS), have accepted invitations to formally speak to participants.

"This is excellent news, as Justice Kourakis a very senior jurist and Dr Goldie a leading social justice advocate," Professor Redhead said. "They are outstanding individuals with vast experience, and they will provide participants with insights and challenges."

CSU Vice-Chancellor Professor Andrew Vann will welcome participants to the conference and introduce Justice Kourakis who will deliver the opening address.

Dr Goldie will deliver the address at the conference dinner on Friday 3 July, which local and regional residents are welcome to attend.

Professor Redhead said Dr Goldie has been CEO of ACOSS since July 2010 and has extensive public policy expertise in economic and social issues, civil society, social justice, and human rights.

"Dr Goldie has represented the interests of civil society, and disadvantaged people, in major national and international processes including most recently through the G20 as Deputy Chair of the Civil Society20 and Chair of the Global Infrastructure Working Group (2014)," Professor Redhead said.

"She has worked globally as a human rights advocate, including through the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women and UN Habitat. She also has grassroots legal practice experience both as a legal aid lawyer and as Director and Principal Solicitor of the Darwin Community Legal Service in the Northern Territory, which won the National Human Rights Award for Community Service during her leadership."

Prior to joining ACOSS, Dr Goldie was Director of the Sex and Age Discrimination program at the Australian Human Rights Commission, where she played a central role in major gender equality reforms, including Australia's first paid parental leave, reforms to sex discrimination and pay equity, and Australian Stock Exchange corporate governance standards. She was also a member of the Prime Minister's National Panel on Economic Reform (2013), the Ministerial Roundtable on Superannuation (2012/13), and the National Tax Forum (2011).

Professor Redhead said after the conference dinner, the National Rural Law and Justice Alliance Innovation in Rural Justice Awards will be presented. This will include the launch of the inaugural Innovation in Rural Justice Awards 2015. The Awards are designed to acknowledge excellent and innovative work that helps to promote better access to law and justice for people in regional, rural and remote Australia, and have been established as a joint initiative of Deakin University's Centre for Rural Regional Law and Justice and the National Rural Law and Justice Alliance. The theme of the conference is 'Reframing Rurality: Driving Innovation in Rural Justice'. Registrations for the conference close on Friday 26 June. Register here.