Magistrate Noreen Toohey OAM

Noreen Toohey has been a Magistrate for 26 years. This includes 16 years working in the western suburbs of Melbourne (including as Regional Coordinating Magistrate for the Sunshine Region), eight years in country Victoria in the Goulburn Valley, Grampians and Barwon regions, and two years at the Melbourne Coroner’s Court. Prior to her appointment, Magistrate Toohey was in private practice and later a solicitor with the Victorian Office of Public Prosecutions. She has been the Lead Magistrate at the Specialist Family Violence Division at Ballarat since 2005. A former committee member of the Australian Association of Women Judges, Her Honour is a member of the Victorian Magistrates’ Family Violence and Family Law Portfolio Committee. In 2017, Magistrate Toohey was awarded Queen's Birthday Honours for services to the law, particularly as an advocate to the safety of children and families. Magistrate Toohey has a deep interest in therapeutic jurisprudence. 

Rachel Powning / General Manager

In the role of General Manager of the NJC, Rachel is responsible for strategic leadership of the NJC, engagement with the broader community, and widely promoting the benefits of a community justice approach. Rachel’s career has focused on social justice, and she has worked in leadership roles in local government and international NGOs. Rachel’s qualifications include a BA Hons, MA Politics and GAICD. She is a strong advocate for the empowerment of local communities, and believes diverse communities are the best ones. 

Louise Bassett / Policy and Prevention Senior Manager

As Strategy & Innovation Manager, Louise explores and develops new ideas and initiatives to identify their potential to benefit the local community and the justice system overall. Louise oversees strategic planning and manages the Program Innovations Team. Her 'can-do' attitude is behind the many Australian firsts the NJC has brought to life. Louise has been with the NJC for over a decade.

Mathew Cocomazzo / Therapeutic Services Manager

Mathew manages NJC's support services, providing our clients with wrap-around treatment and support. Mathew works closely with our Magistrate, Community Correctional Services, court administrators, Victoria Police, the legal profession, and agencies across justice. Mathew has been with the NJC for over 10 years and is passionate about the use therapeutic principles in the justice space. 

Diane Arsic / Business Services Manager

As the Business Services Manager, Diane manages the Information Team and is responsible for the ongoing development and management of the corporate infrastructure of the NJC, including human resources, administration/reception, information technology, work health and safety, quality assurance, financial management, procurement, event management and knowledge management. Prior to working at the NJC Diane held various positions across the corporate and not-for-profit sector. 

Rebecca Courtier / Senior Registrar

Rebecca manages the NJC’s registry team, providing administrative assistance to the court and facilitating client referrals to legal and support services. Rebecca collaborates with other teams at the NJC to improve our court processes and access to justice and therapeutic services for residents of the City of Yarra. Rebecca has worked as a Registrar in various venues across both the Magistrates’ and Children’s Courts and believes in using therapeutic models to help make courts more inclusive and accessible spaces for the community. 

Beth Swales / Supervisor NJC Community Correctional Services

Beth joined Community Correctional Services (CCS) in 1996 and has held a number of front-line positions.  She currently manages the community corrections team stationed at the Centre who supervise people who are serving Community Correction Orders. While the team performs the same duties as their colleagues across Victoria, they also work alongside a host of independent treatment and support services stationed at the Centre. This integrated services model means that many CCS clients will have started treatment either before or during their time in Court, and the CCS team can refer clients to additional services as required. Beth is an advocate of addressing the underlying causes of offending through problem-solving practices and wrap-around support.

Charlie Watson / Senior Lawyer, Victoria Legal Aid

Charlie Watson is the Senior Lawyer for Victoria Legal Aid at the NJC. Charlie has been at the NJC since July 2018. Charlie was admitted as a solicitor in 2005 and is an LIV accredited criminal law specialist. Prior to the NJC, Charlie was the Managing Lawyer of WEstjustice’s Sunshine Youth Office at the Sunshine Visy Cares Hub from 2016-2018. 

Tessa Di Paolo / Senior Community Lawyer, Fitzroy Legal Service

Tessa Di Paolo is a Senior Community Lawyer for Fitzroy Legal Service, based at the NJC. Tessa was admitted to Practice as a Lawyer in 2017. Since this time, she has worked as a Criminal Lawyer in Private Practice and in the Community Legal Sector. Prior to starting at the NJC, Tessa was based in Cairns working as a Criminal Lawyer at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service. She has been the Senior Lawyer for the Fitzroy Legal Service at NJC since October 2023.