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 and coroner's inquests, including the Cole Royal Commission into Trade Unions, the Victorian Bushfire Royal Commissioin and the Hayden Royal Commission into Trade Union Corruption and Governance. Most recently she appeared for subjects of investigation in separate case studies in the Hayden Royal Commission. In the Child Abuse Royal Commission, she represented multiple victims of child sexual abuse by institutions in some case studies and for responsible institutions in others.
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 disablilty discrimination class action, Duval-Comrie v Commonwealth [2016] FCA 1523, having previously conducted the test case on the issue, Nojin & Prior v Commonweath (2012) 208 FCR 1, and for the applicants in the Palm Island discrimination case, Wotton v Qld (No 10) [2018] FCA 915. She is currently briefed in the Aveo (retirement vilages), 7-Eleven (franchise disputes) and Appco (employment) class actions, all of which are pending in the Federal Court.
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, and is a member of the national panels of expert mediators maintained the under the Franchising and Oil Industry Codes of Conduct. She is an active member of the Monash University Law School External Professsional Advisory Group and the Advisory Board for the Clinical Program conducted by Monash Law School. She is a participant in the Competition Law and Economics Network at the University of Melbourne when circumstances permit.
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