Dr Hanscombe has a broad administrative law, commercial and equity practice, and a particular interest, deriving from her training in physics and mathematics, in cases involving engineering and scientific matters. Her administrative law practice includes both judicial review and advice to government as to matters of legislative drafting and related issues. She is experienced in professional disciplinary matters, and related processes, mostly in relation to the legal profession. In addition she has substantial experience in merits review administrative matters, both in tribunals and on appeal, and has appeared as counsel assisting in various types of executive inquiries. She assisted in the Ambulance Royal Commission with particular responsibility for the telecommunications engineering expert evidence. She has represented potentially affected persons in other Royal Commissions, inquirys, and coroner's inquests, including the Cole Royal Commission into Trade Unions, the Victorian Bushfire Royal Commission, the Hayden Royal Commission into Trade Union Corruption and Governance, and the Don Dale Royal Commission. In the Child Abuse Royal Commission, she represented multiple victims of child sexual abuse by institutions in some case studies, and responsible institutions in others. She was briefed for a large aged care provider in the Aged Care Royal Commission, for affected persons in the Lawyer X Royal Commission, for an interested party in the Bourke St inquest, and for interested parties in the Covid 19 Board of Inquiry.
In relation to commercial matters, she has substantial experience in class actions, in both the Federal Court and the Victorian Supreme Court. Cases of this type date from the early days of Part IVA, and have included the GIO, Aristocrat Leisure and Mediaworld shareholders’ cases, the Concept Sports multi-plaintiff proceeding, and the Contract Blinds industrial class action for breach of award and contract. She appeared for the applicant in De Brett v Qantas Airways Ltd (formerly Auskay Pty Ltd v Qantas Airways Ltd & Ors), a large cartel class action concerning air cargo freight rates. She was briefed for the applicant in a large disability discrimination class action, Duval-Comrie v Commonwealth [2016] FCA 1523, having previously conducted the test case on the issue, Nojin & Prior v Commonwealth (2012) 208 FCR 1, for the applicants in the Palm Island discrimination case, Wotton v Qld (No 10) [2018] FCA 915 and in class actions concerning retirement villages and franchise disputes. She has been briefed in several employment class actions and currently represents the applicants in two such. She represents the applicants in two other class actions in relation to retail superannuation funds AMP and Colonial First State.
She is routinely briefed in commercial cases involving complex questions of trust and property law. In addition she practises in deceased estates, including as to the construction of wills and related instruments.
She has a substantial appellate practice in both State and Federal jurisdictions. She was first accredited by the Victorian Bar as an Advanced Mediator at the beginning of the national scheme. She is an active member of the Monash University Law School External Professional Advisory Group and the Advisory Board for the Clinical Program conducted by Monash Law School.
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