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Biographical Details - Ian Govey

Deputy Secretary, Civil Justice and Legal Services

Mr Ian Govey is Deputy Secretary, Civil Justice and Legal Services, in the Australian Attorney-General’s Department.

Ian’s position involves responsibility for a diverse range of matters including administrative law, federal courts and tribunals, native title, human rights, family law and related services, legal assistance, Indigenous justice, territories, copyright, personal property securities, classification, constitutional policy, international law, legal services to government, and drafting and publication of legislative instruments.

Ian has held a variety of senior positions in the Department including positions responsible for law reform in corporate, copyright, trade and other areas of commercial law.  He has also worked at the Australian Embassy in Washington DC and in the Treasury.

Ian represents the Department on the International Legal Services Advisory Council, on the National Alternative Dispute Resolution Advisory Council, as a Director of the Australian Centre of International Commercial Arbitration and as a member of the Council of the Australian Institute of Judicial Administration.  He is also an elected member of the Governing Council of UNIDROIT (International Institute for the Unification of Private Law).

Ian has a Bachelor of Law (Hons) from the University of Adelaide and Bachelor of Economics from the Australian National University.  He was admitted as a legal practitioner in the ACT in 1975.