Rear Admiral Michael John Slattery
Michael John Slattery was born in Sydney in 1954 and graduated from the University of Sydney in Arts in 1975 and in Law in 1977. He was admitted as a barrister in 1978, made a Queen’s Counsel in 1992 and appointed a Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2009.
Slattery joined the Royal Australian Navy Reserve as a Lieutenant (Supply Branch - Legal) in 1990. He was promoted Lieutenant Commander in 1996, Commander in 2000, and Captain in 2006. Upon his respective appointments as Deputy Judge Advocate General - Navy in 2010 and as Judge Advocate General - ADF in 2014 he was promoted Commodore and then Rear Admiral.
Between 2002 and 2006 Slattery served as head of the New South Wales Navy Reserve Legal Panel, the group of reservists tasked with giving legal support to Navy and to wider ADF operations and to the ADF’s discipline system, legal administration, inquiries, investigations and training. Slattery’s legal roles in Navy have included in the past advising Commanders and personnel of all ranks, prosecuting and defending at Courts Martial, representing Navy in Senate hearings, acting as counsel assisting larger scale inquiries and conducting investigations for report both at sea and on shore.
Slattery served in the Northern Arabian Gulf in April 2003, and during 2005-06 he was the principal counsel assisting the Navy Board of Inquiry into the fatal crash of Sea King helicopter Shark 02 on Nias Island, Indonesia. Slattery has received two Admiral’s Commendations for his service to Navy, the first in 1994 and the second in 2007.
From November 2005 to November 2007 Slattery served as President of the New South Wales Bar Association, a body that both exercises professional discipline over all NSW barristers and represents their professional interests.
Rear Admiral Slattery was appointed Judge Advocate General of the Australian Defence Force in July 2014. As Judge Advocate General - ADF he exercises defined functions under the Defence Force Discipline Act 1982 in relation to the operation of ADF discipline, upon which he reported annually to each House of Parliament.
Rear Admiral Slattery was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the 2019 Queen’s Birthday Honours List “For exceptional service in the field of military law, particularly as Judge Advocate General of the Australian Defence Force”.
Rear Admiral Slattery was appointed as a member of the Defence Force Discipline Appeal Tribunal in January 2022.
Rear Admiral Slattery was appointed as a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) in the General Division, in the 2022 Australia Day Honours List “For significant service to the law, to the judiciary and to professional legal associations”.
