Launch event

Dr Leah Sharman is an ARC Discovery Early Career Research Award Fellow researching social and emotional health and decision-making among victim-survivors of domestic and family violence. She was a postdoctoral research fellow on The Non-fatal Strangulation Offence as a Response to Domestic Violence. Her role involved a review of Queensland domestic violence deaths where strangulation was involved in the relationship or death, interviews with victim/survivors and DV service workers regarding non-fatal strangulation, understanding medical evidence assisting non-fatal strangulation prosecution and researching the prevalence and attitudes of sexual strangulation among young people.

Thelma Schwartz is the Principal Legal Officer of Queensland Indigenous Family Violence Legal Service, an Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Community Controlled Organisation providing legal and non-legal support services to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander victims and survivors of family violence and sexual assault. Thelma is the current co-chair of the Queensland Justice Policy Partnership Cross Agency Working Group, a member of the Queensland Human Rights Commission & Queensland Police Services Advisory Panel into the review of inclusion and diversity in the QPS. She is also a member of the Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council and is the current Panel Chair for Queensland Sentencing Advisory Council’s Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Panel. Thelma was previously a member of the Women’s Safety and Justice Taskforce. Thelma has practiced for over 25 years in the Northern Territory and Queensland and has worked extensively with and for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, providing legal services and legal representation as a criminal defence solicitor with the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service for over nine years. Thelma identifies as of Torres Strait Islander heritage alongside her German/Samoan and Papua New Guinean heritage.

Professor Heather Douglas AM is a leading expert on the legal response to domestic and family violence, with expertise in criminal law and procedure. She is a chief investigator of the Australian Research Council (ARC) Centre of Excellence for the Elimination of Violence Against Women. She was co-chief investigator on the ARC Discovery Project, The Non-fatal Strangulation Offence as a Response to Domestic Violence. For this project, Professor Douglas examined issues including proof of non-fatal strangulation, prosecuting non-fatal strangulation and case outcomes, women’s stories of non-fatal strangulation, complainant withdrawal, and issues raised by domestic and family violence support workers.

Glen Cranny has practiced as a solicitor since 1995 and is a leading author in the areas of criminal law and disciplinary investigations in Queensland. He was a member of the Queensland Law Society’s inaugural criminal law specialist accreditation committee and was the Chair of the Law Society’s criminal law committee from 2008 to 2014. Doyle’s guide has listed Mr Cranny as a pre-eminent criminal defence lawyer in Queensland (2015-2024) and Australia (2017-2024). He is currently a part-time commissioner of the Queensland Law Reform Commission and the Director at Gilshenan & Luton.