Jenni Millbank is a Law Lecturer at Sydney’s University of Technology, and is one of the key brains behind many of the law reforms this country has seen in terms of recognition of same-sex relationships and families. Her academic work was the backbone to NSW law reform in 1999 for same-sex de facto couples. More recently she authored the research paper for the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission that sparked national debate on discrimination against same-sex relationships, and in turn formed the blueprint for the law reforms recommended by the inquiry.

So how does she feel about having such an influence? “I have always worked as a researcher in law and social change - initially in law reform and then in academia. It is wonderful that my work has helped to encourage and to inform changes to the law - but there is a lot more to be done before Australian law treats lesbian and gay couples and their children equally.”

Millbank’s expertise is in family law, particularly gay and lesbian family and relationship issues. “My research is informed by the belief that law should respect and reflect peoples lived lives.”

Millbank says that early in her career her inspiration came from feminist lawyers. “Especially those who taught me at law school and in my postgraduate studies,” she says. “Those women took on an inhospitable discipline with courage and perseverance, and their work in feminist jurisprudence made much queer scholarship and activism possible.”

So how long does Millbank think we’ll have to wait to see full equality in this country? “I think it is inevitable that same-sex couples will get recognition as de facto relationships in federal law in the next few years,” says Millbank. “The task of crafting a range of new laws to properly recognise the range and diversity of parent-child relationships in gay and lesbian families is going to take some time, not least of all because of the difficult interplay of federal and state law around children in Australia.”

Millbank believes that when it comes to law reform for lesbians and gay men, and real changes in rights, the strongest influence actually comes from the Australian public. “Look at the amazing array of rights that have been won over just the past few decades - I think the force of most influence has been ordinary people and their changing attitudes.”

By Christian Taylor