Gillian Triggs facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Gillian Triggs
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Triggs in 2015
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| President of the Australian Human Rights Commission | |
| In office 30 July 2012 – 26 July 2017 |
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| Appointed by | Nicola Roxon |
| Preceded by | Catherine Branson QC |
| Succeeded by | Ros Croucher AM |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 30 October 1945 London, England, UK |
| Citizenship | Australian / British |
| Spouse | Alan Brown AM |
| Children | 3 |
| Alma mater | |
| Occupation | Academic |
| Profession | |
Gillian Doreen Triggs is an Australian and British lawyer who specializes in public international law. This area of law deals with rules that countries follow when they interact. She is especially known for her work in human rights, which are the basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person.
In 2019, Gillian Triggs was chosen by the United Nations Secretary-General to be an Assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations. In this important role, she worked for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) until December 2023. The UNHCR helps people who have been forced to leave their homes because of war or other dangers.
Before joining the UN, Triggs was the President of the Australian Human Rights Commission (HRC) from 2012 to 2017. This commission works to protect and promote human rights in Australia. She was also a Dean at the Sydney Law School and a professor at the Melbourne Law School.
Gillian Triggs has received special awards for her work, including two honorary doctorates. She also received the Ruth Bader Ginsburg Medal and the Prominent Women of International Law Award in 2023.
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Early Life and Education
Gillian Triggs went to University High School, Melbourne and the University of Melbourne. While at university, she was even named "Miss University 1966"! She earned a law degree in 1967 and a PhD in 1982.
After becoming a lawyer in Australia, Triggs received a scholarship to study in the United States. She earned another law degree from Southern Methodist University in Texas in 1972. From 1972 to 1974, she worked with the Dallas Police Department. There, she advised the Chief of Police on the Civil Rights Act of 1964, which helped end discrimination.
Career Highlights
Gillian Triggs has had a long and impressive career in law and education. In 1987, she started working as a consultant on international law for a big law firm.
From 1996 to 2005, Triggs was a full-time professor at Melbourne Law School. She wrote many papers about different parts of public international law. This included topics like how countries solve trade problems and laws about the sea. She also wrote two books called International Law: Contemporary Principles and Practices.
Triggs also worked as a consultant for a law firm in Indonesia. From 2005 to 2007, she was the Director of the British Institute of International and Comparative Law.
In 2007, Triggs returned to Australia to become the Dean of the University of Sydney Law School. She was also a special professor of International Law there. She is now an Honorary Fellow at the College of Law and a Professor Emerita at the University of Sydney.
In 2018, Gillian Triggs was named Humanist of the Year. She also published her memoir, Speaking Up, which tells her life story.
From 2019 to 2023, she served as the Assistant High Commissioner for Protection at the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). Since then, she continues to support refugees as an Ambassador for Australia for UNHCR.
Work at the Human Rights Commission
On July 30, 2012, Gillian Triggs became the President of the Australian Human Rights Commission (HRC). This was a five-year role. The HRC is an independent organization that works to protect human rights in Australia.
In 2014, Triggs started an important investigation into children in immigration detention. This inquiry looked at how being in detention affected the health and well-being of children. The report from this inquiry caused some disagreements with the Australian government at the time.
After her term ended in July 2017, Triggs did not ask for a second term. In 2019, she moved to Geneva, Switzerland, to take up her role with the United Nations.
Personal Life
Gillian Triggs lives in Melbourne, Australia. She is married to Alan Brown, who was also an Australian diplomat. Triggs has three children from a previous marriage.
Her third child, a daughter named Victoria, was born in 1984. Victoria had a serious health condition and sadly passed away at the age of 21.
Besides English, Gillian Triggs also speaks some French.
