Maria Bisogni has been a Deputy President at the NSW Mental Health Review Tribunal since 2003 and has been responsible for the management of the Tribunal’s Civil Division since 2008. Prior to her appointment as a Deputy President, she was a part-time legal member of the Tribunal as well as the Guardianship Tribunal, and was a senior lawyer in the Criminal Law Division of Legal Aid NSW. For a number of years, Maria served as a Board member of the Corrections Health Service, now known as Justice Health.

Maria has taken a leading role in relation to the management and direction of the Mental Health Review Tribunal, with a focus on implementing reforms to improve hearing standards that are inclusive of consumers, carers and provide for rigorous standards of decision making, supported by professional development activities for members to drive cultural change. Currently, Maria is leading initiatives for the recruitment of a Consumer and Carer Engagement Officer and a Consumer and Carer Working Group to bring a lived experienced and carer’s lens to the work of the Tribunal. Maria is committed to the right of persons to have fair, transparent and accountable decisions and for the hearing process to be as supportive as possible.