John Coldrey

John Coldrey QC is a former justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria. He is currently chairman of the council of the Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine.

John Coldrey was admitted to the Victorian Bar in 1966 and spent 18 years as a defence barrister, including defending Aboriginal accused in the Northern Territory. From 1967 to 1969, he was a part-time teaching fellow in criminal law and family law at Monash University.

Subsequently, he was counsel assisting the inquiry into allegations against members of the Victoria Police Force; director of Legal Services for the Central Land Council in the Northern Territory; director of Public Prosecutions for Victoria, and chair of the Consultative Committee on Police Powers of Investigation – which resulted in the requirement that police interrogations be electronically recorded.

Between 1991 and 2008, John Coldrey was a justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria.

In 2004 he was awarded the gold medal of the International Society for the Reform of Criminal Law in recognition of his contribution towards criminal law reform. From 2009 to 2013, he was a judicial member of the Adult Parole Board of Victoria.

In 2013 John Coldrey was appointed an Honorary Fellow of Monash University. He is an honorary life member of the Criminal Bar Association of Victoria and the Melbourne University Sports Union.

His hobbies are walking, writing and travel.