On 24 March 2026, the Copyright Society of Australia held its Annual General Meeting and elected Luke Hawthorne as President.

The Society wishes to pay special tribute to Alida Stanley for her outstanding service as President. Alida has played a major role in shaping the Society’s contribution to copyright discussion in Australia, including through her leadership of the Society’s immensely successful Copyright Law & Practice Symposia. We are very pleased that she will continue to serve the Society as Vice-President. We are also delighted to congratulate Luke on his election and look forward to his leadership in the year ahead.

Thank you as well to outgoing Management Committee members Kaelah Ford, Ben McDermott and Marlia Saunders for their service and contribution to the Society.

We are excited to welcome Joel Parsons and Mikah Rajaczkowska–Russell to the Management Committee, and congratulate all re-elected Committee members. We are looking forward to working with the incoming Committee as we continue the Society’s long-standing role in bringing together copyright practitioners, academics, policy thinkers, and industry participants.

Incoming President, Luke Hawthorne said:

“To borrow an Australian idiom, there has never been a more exciting time to be a copyright practitioner. The Copyright Society of Australia is a leading forum for discussion of copyright law, practice and policy. I am honoured to serve as President, and excited to continue the conversation with our members and guests in 2026 and beyond through our events and through the publication of the Copyright Reporter.”

Outgoing President & Vice President, Alida Stanley said:

“After five years as President of the Copyright Society of Australia, I step down with great pride in the strategic goals we have achieved and deep gratitude for the generous support we have received from the profession, industry, the bench, academia, and government.  Together, we have successfully established the CSA as an independent, trusted platform for thought leadership in copyright law and practice — financially sustainable, with membership grown to just under 200 members, and recognised across the sector as the authoritative forum for the issues that matter most.

I am especially proud of two highly successful Symposia that showcased the very best of Australian and international copyright expertise, and of the resurrection of the Copyright Reporter, which has restored an important voice to our field. None of this would have been possible without the dedication and commitment of the extraordinary professionals who comprise our Management Committee, and the generosity of the firms whose support makes the CSA’s work possible. I have every confidence that the CSA will continue to flourish in its next strategic phase under the very capable leadership of Luke Hawthorne, the Executive, and the Management Committee.”