AARJ Office-bearers
David Moore
President
David Moore has been involved with Australia’s restorative justice movement since the pilot program of group conferencing in NSW in the early 1990s. He has taught at several universities, worked in a Premier’s Department, trained facilitators and helped establish evaluated programs around Australia, North America, the UK and Scandinavia, and worked with David Williamson on the Jack Manning Trilogy of plays. In recent years, David has been a principal advisor to the Defence Abuse Response Taskforce and National Redress Scheme.
Michael Wood
Treasurer
Michael Wood is based in Melbourne. He is an Anglican Priest, Professional Coach and Restorative-Practices (RP) facilitator. Michael convenes a Community of Practice for people who are developing Restorative Practices in Faith Communities. He is also the Treasurer of the Australian Association for Restorative Justice.
Alikki Vernon
Vice President & Secretary
Alikki Vernon has worked in conflict management and restorative practice for more than twenty years. She coordinated the Dispute and Conflict Resolution Programs at La Trobe University Law School, and currently provides professional development training in group conferencing with Dr David Moore. She provides mentoring, and support for service-delivery & program development in justice, community and workplace contexts, practical support in managing workplace conflict, community and public sector organisational governance, & responses to institutional abuse and adolescent and adult family violence.
Jurisdictional Representatives
The AARJ Committee has State and Territory Association Representatives, who (i) act as a local point of contact, and (ii) keep colleagues in other jurisdictions informed of local developments.
Current jurisdictional representatives are as follows:
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Kristy Elliot
Education Sector Representative
Kristy Elliott (B.Ed, MAPP) is an international consultant and educator with over two decades of experience supporting schools across Australia and Asia. As founder of Restorative Pathways, she helps schools build positive, relational cultures through restorative practices, leadership development, and the science of wellbeing. Kristy provides coaching, professional development, and strategic support for educators, leaders, and students, fostering psychological safety, collaborative classrooms, and stronger school communities through evidence-based, sustainable approaches.
Amanda O’Neill
ACT Representative
Amanda O’Neill is a senior convenor with the Restorative Justice Unit in the ACT Government’s Justice and Community Safety Directorate.
Educated in psychology and philosophy, Amanda has been a convenor with the RJU for 10 years and in justice, homelessness and women’s services for 20 years.
Graham Castledine
Western Australia Representative
Graham Castledine is a lawyer, accredited mediator and restorative practitioner working in Western Australia. He has many years of experience in restorative engagement in the context of institutional harm including with the Catholic Church Towards Healing program, the Defence Force Redress Scheme and the Territories Stolen Generation Redress Scheme. Graham’s other work includes advice, negotiation, mediation and facilitation in specialist areas such as native title, Aboriginal cultural heritage, local government, planning and environmental protection.
Genevieve Higgins
Victoria Representative
Genevieve Higgins is a dedicated social worker and restorative practitioner with nearly two decades of experience in the field. She is the Principal Practitioner in the Lotjpadhan project, contributing her expertise to support culturally informed and community-driven restorative approaches and she plays a pivotal role within Jesuit Social Services in integrating restorative practices into justice, community, and education initiatives. She is committed to ensuring that programs are well-developed and informed by best practices, integrating evidence-based approaches to enhance their effectiveness and sustainability.
Throughout her career, Genevieve has been committed to creating spaces for healing and accountability. Her expertise in restorative practice allows her to support individuals in navigating conflict, addressing harm, and rebuilding relationships in a constructive manner. She is a respected voice in the field, contributing to discussions on justice reform and innovative approaches to relationship management. Her role in the Lotjpadhan project underscores her dedication to culturally responsive justice practices, empowering communities to lead their own restorative journeys
Christine Jones – Queensland Representative
Christine has been a lawyer and dispute resolution practitioner for nearly 4 decades. Her primary area of practice is non-adversarial dispute resolution and restorative practice. She is a community mediator and facilitator with the Dispute Resolution Branch, Queensland Department of Justice. Christine has been an accredited family dispute resolution practitioner since 2009. She has taught alternative dispute resolution and negotiation at universities, and in the public and corporate sector. She is currently a sessional teacher and tutor in the QUT School of Public Health and Social Work in conjunction with her PhD candidature.
Christine has had extensive experience in restorative and therapeutic justice processes. She was a facilitator with the Defence Abuse Response Taskforce and is a facilitator with the Office of Commonwealth Ombudsman Restorative Engagement program, and the Territories Stolen Generation Redress Scheme. She facilitates restorative engagement processes within several current redress schemes throughout Australia, working with government and non-government institutions.
Through her AARJ committee role, Christine is pleased to be actively involved advancing restorative practices as an effective means of strengthening relationships and building respectful and inclusive cultures in organisations and communities. Christine is a former commissioner of the National Mental Health Commission and currently holds leadership roles in several community organisations providing mental health support and recovery, vocation education, disability services and palliative care.
Rikki Mawad
Tasmania Representative
Rikki Mawad is a Restorative Justice Practitioner, Mediator, Coach, and Leadership Specialist based in Tasmania. She works across the criminal justice system with young offenders, in workplaces, and in community settings, helping individuals and organisations move from rupture to repair.
Passionate about transforming challenges into opportunities for growth and connection, Rikki focuses on building the “relational first aid” skills needed to foster choice, confidence, and collaboration in the face of conflict.
Rikki brings to the AARJ Board nearly two decades of governance experience, along with a unique practitioner’s perspective and an academic lens.
Lois Peeler
First Nations Representative
Dr Lois Peeler’s ancestral connections are Yorta Yorta and Wiradjuri through her mother and Wurundjeri through her father. Her career spans numerous leading roles and awards working in the Aboriginal community and government sectors. Lois was awarded the 2022 national NAIDOC Female Elder Award. Throughout her career, Lois has had a role in educating the broader community about the diversity of Aboriginal culture along with the enduring legacy of colonisation and the far reaching effects of past government policies and the ongoing effects of systemic injustices. At Worawa Aboriginal College Lois has guided Two Way Learning. It extends learning opportunities to the broader community to build intercultural knowledge and
understanding of Aboriginal culture, history and lived experience on a platform of truth-telling. The Worawa cultural experience provides visitors the privileged opportunity to walk the Dreaming Trail and the History Walk honouring Aboriginal Change Makers.
Sally Gray – Northern Territory Representative
Sally is a Restorative Justice Practioner based on Larrikia Country in the Northern Territory. Sally has a background in International Community Development and Peace Building projects in Timor Leste and the South Pacific. More recently she has worked with Jesuit Social Services in the Youth Justice sector working alongside Aboriginal Leadership to repair harm caused in communities across the Northern Territory.