Alumni Spotlight - Regina Weiss

Career Journey & Highlights

I commenced my legal career straight out of Prac as Associate to now-Chief Justice Blow, which gave me such a great insight into how our legal system operates. It was my year with the Chief Justice that inspired me to come back to Tasmania and the Bar all these years later.

I then spent a year at the Cth Director of Public Prosecutions as a federal prosecutor and then moved to The Hague, where I was a prosecution trial lawyer at the ICC for close to nine years, prosecuting war crimes and crimes against humanity emanating predominantly from east Africa (Democratic Republic of the Congo, Kenya, Uganda). I appeared before the various chambers in pre-trial and trial proceedings, but also spent time on the ground in east Africa on mission, working with victims and witnesses of war crimes.

I returned to Australia and spent 5 years in Canberra heading up the legal teams of several federal government agencies before my call to the Bar in 2021. I have come full circle.

Locally, I act for plaintiffs in institutional abuse matters, have led several Reviews which involve sexual abuse and human rights violations and more recently was appointed the Chair of the Racing Integrity Committee. Internationally, I remain on the list of counsel for victims and defence at the ICC, am the ICC Bar Association (ICCBA) Ecocide Working Group Chair and was recently elected to the ICCBA Victims Committee – work which takes me back to The Hague once a year.

Words of advice for those commencing the TLPC?

It is really important to be admitted as a legal practitioner – or ‘get your ticket’ as I’ve often said to law grads. It is much harder to go back later and do it – but once you have done it, you’ve got it. That means even if you don’t see yourself practising now, it gives you the option to go back to it later if your career takes you down that path. Keep your options open!

What would you tell your 2005 self?

Don’t be afraid of rejection – you’re going to get a lot of that. Keep persevering and don’t be dejected if you get a “no”! It happens ALL the time! Brush yourself off and start again.