Legal Group

What do we do?

The Legal Group:

• provides in-house legal services and manages legal risk for the Controller and Auditor-General across all the functions and activities of the organisation;
• leads and manages inquiries under the Public Audit Act 2001;
• administers the provisions of the Local Authorities (Members’ Interests) Act 1968 on behalf of the Auditor-General;
• participates in other operational work of the Auditor-General including inquiries, performance audits, good practice guides, advice to Parliament, and input to new laws and policies, particularly in matters relating to:
  • government and local authority advertising;
  • conflicts of interest;
  • probity and public sector ethics, integrity and conduct.

Group structure

The Assistant Auditor-General, Legal Group is Melanie Webb.

The other members of the Group are:

• Jonathan Keate (Senior Solicitor; Sector Manager, Local Government)
• Belinda Rynhart (Senior Solicitor)
• Philippa le Couteur (Senior Solicitor)
• Linda Edwards (Solicitor)
• David Lemmon (Inquiries Manager)
• David Press (Senior Inquiries Specialist)
• Liz Colley (Senior Inquiries Specialist)
• Gabrielle Wheddon (Inquiries Specialist)
• Tessa Cooksley (Inquiries Coordinator)
• Shelley Dobson (Personal Assistant)

Page last updated: 14 January 2019