Chief Executive

Mr Ernest Schmatt PSM Dip Law (BAB)
Mr Schmatt is responsible for all of the Commission's operations. He has input into all aspects of the Commission's work, from financial management to research, complaints, information systems management and education activities.

Mr Schmatt held senior legal and management positions in the Public Sector before his appointment, in October 1987, as the first Deputy Chief Executive of the Judicial Commission. In March 1989, he was appointed to the position of Chief Executive of the Judicial Commission. He is a solicitor of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and the High Court of Australia. Mr Schmatt was awarded the Public Service Medal in the 1997 Queen's Birthday Honours List for service to Public Sector management and reform, Public Sector industrial relations and judicial education in New South Wales.

Education Director

Ms Ruth Windeler BSc (University of Toronto, Canada)
Ms Windeler is responsible for the Commission's judicial education programme. She works closely with the Education Committees of each court to plan and organise all Commission conferences and seminars, and is also responsible for the Commission's publishing programme.

Ms Windeler has held the position of Education Director since May 1996. Her career in professional education and training began in 1975 in Canada and includes appointments in a number of Commonwealth countries. She has been Director of the Canadian Advocates' Society Institute; Co-ordinator and Instructional Design Administrator for the Institute of Professional Legal Studies in New Zealand; Director of Standards and Development for the Law Society of Hong Kong; Secretary to the Advocacy Institute of Hong Kong; and Head of the Department of Continuing Medical Education and Re-certification for the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons.

Director, Research and Sentencing

Mr Hugh Donnelly BA (Melb) LLB (UNSW) LLM (Syd)
Mr Donnelly is responsible for the Commission's research program and for the content of the Commission's Judicial Information Research System (JIRS).

Mr Donnelly was admitted as a legal practitioner in 1992. He worked in private practice until 1993 when he joined the Commission as a Research Officer. He left the Commission in 1995 and held the position of Principal Research Lawyer at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) until 2001. He was appointed High Court Lawyer for that organisation from 2001 to 2003. He rejoined the Commission in October 2003 as the Manager of the Research and Sentencing Division. He has been Acting Director of the Division since February 2006, and Director since July 2007. He has authored several publications on evidence and sentencing law, including the Sentencing Bench Book.

Director, Information Management and Corporate Services

Mr Murali Sagi PSM BEng MBA (CSU) GradCertPSM (UWS) FACS
Mr Sagi is responsible for the Commission's Information Management and Technology, Strategic Planning and the Lawcodes project. Mr Sagi also assists the Chief Executive in preparing strategic planning documents, business cases and policy documents.

Mr Sagi has held the position of Director, Information Systems since January 2000. He has played a major role in the successful development and implementation of JIRS. He has over 20 years of experience in managing complex information technology projects in both the government and private sectors. Mr Sagi was named as the "Chief Information Officer — Government" of the year at the prestigious National Information Technology & Telecommunications Awards 2003. In addition Mr Sagi's expertise has been sought by AusAID, UNDP and Asian Development Bank to provide technical assistance for capacity building projects in Palestine, Indonesia, Cambodia and India.