Deputy President

The Hon. Christopher Sumner AM works full-time as Deputy President of the National Native Title Tribunal and is based in Adelaide. He has been Deputy President since April 2000 and a full-time member since 1995.

Mr Sumner was Attorney-General for South Australia from 1982 to 1993. He was first elected to the Legislative Council of South Australia in 1975 and resigned in October 1994.

Mr Sumner's parliamentary career includes appointments as Minister for Justice and Correctional Services, Minister for Public Sector Reform, Minister for Crime Prevention, Minister for Consumer Affairs, Minister for Ethnic Affairs and Acting Premier. He was a barrister and solicitor in private practice from 1967 until 1979.

Mr Sumner was appointed as Member in the Order of Australia (AM) 'for service to the South Australian Parliament, to the law, particularly establishing basic principles of justice for victims of crime, to multiculturalism and to the National Native Title Tribunal'. He was President of the World Society of Victimology from 1991 to 1994, is currently the President of the Australasian Society of Victimology, and was also awarded the Italian Government Honour of Commendatore in 1989.

Mr Sumner has a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Laws and Graduate Diploma in Arts all from Adelaide University.