Student Representative Council Meeting 3 saw the election of four new members to the ANUSA Disputes Committee in accordance with section 28 (8) of the ANUSA constitution. The committee’s four elected members are; Elisheva Madar, Isabel Marsh, Kevin Tanaya, Rebecca Kreisler.

Elisheva is a fourth-year Law and Political Science student. Eli outlines that her prior experience with bodies such as the Australasian Union of Jewish Students and UN Youth Australia makes her qualified to occupy the position.

Isabel is a third-year Law and International Relations student. She outlines that her experience as a volunteer at Legal Aid has equipped her with the skills required to effectively fulfil her role on the committee.

Kevin is a second-year Bachelor of Laws/PPE student from Indonesia. He believes that his role as Academic Officer in the ANU Indonesian Students Association has provided him with the requisite expertise to effectively operate on the committee.

Rebecca is a final year law student. She asserts that her positions in multiple institutions such as Legal Aid, and the Women’s Legal Centre has provided her with a proficiency in dispute resolution that will be helpful in her position.

Only three of the six nominees were present for questions, which touched on their political personal conflicts, their understanding of justice and law, and their personal attributes.

“Do you have any political affiliations? First candidate: I have none. Second candidate: I’m not a registered member of any political party. Third candidate: I’m from another country.” #ANUSASRC3 #ANU

— Woroni (@Woroni) 30 April 2019

ANUSA outlines that “members of the Committee must be strongly impartial and appreciative of the seriousness of the role.”

When questioned on personal conflicts, elected member Elisheva Madar said that “I am friends with people on the SRC and in ANUSA, but I think that is going to be a benefit. It means that I am personally invested in the disputes in a way that I think is effective in trying to resolve them.” Elisheva’s comments highlight concerns over the effectiveness of the committee’s election process.

Isabel Marsh said “I wouldn’t favour anyone just because I’m friends with them, you should be very impartial (when you’re in the role).”

The Disputes Committee considers alleged breaches of the constitution and the regulations or policies of the Association. Members of the Committee are tasked with investigating any matter within the jurisdiction of these policies unless otherwise stated. When a breach has been proven, the Committee has the capacity to impose fines or revoke the membership rights of any member of the association.