Duncan Kerr grew up in Claremont, a Hobart suburb, attending Claremont Primary and High School and Hobart Matriculation College. His father worked for the 'Hydro' while his mother taught at the local primary school after leading a medical reconstruction team in Japan after World War II. Kerr holds a Bachelor of Laws degree from the University of Tasmania and a Bachelor of Arts (Social Work) from the Tasmanian College of Advanced Education. Duncan practised in the legal profession and, at different times, served as Crown Counsel for Tasmania, Dean of the Faculty of Law at the University of Papua New Guinea and Principal Solicitor for the NSW Aboriginal Legal Service. As a barrister he appeared regularly before the Supreme Court of Tasmania and the High Court of Australia. Kerr also represented Tasmania in legal proceedings in the United States of America.
In 1987 Kerr entered Federal Parliament as the Member for Denison. After the 1993 Federal election, he was appointed Minister for Justice and Attorney-General, the latter a position he held until Michael Lavarch won the Dickson by-election later that year. As Minister for Justice Duncan initiated a number of reforms across his portfolio including an ongoing update and simplification of the Copyright Act, reforms to the law of evidence and moves towards the establishment of a model Criminal Code and reform of the Commonwealth criminal law. A primary focus for him throughout this term was reform of the Australian Justice System - the courts, legal assistance framework and the legal profession. This work culminated in the Keating Government's landmark Justice Statement (May 1995).
Following Labor's defeat in 1996 Kerr was elected to the Opposition executive and appointed Shadow Minister for Immigration and Assistant to the Leader of the Opposition on Multicultural Affairs. Subsequently he has served as Opposition spokesperson in a number of portfolios including Population, the Environment and the Arts and Shadow Minister for Justice and Customs and was a member of the ALP National Executive. Apart from poetry, Kerr has written a number of legal books and articles, including Elect the Ambassador! Building a Democracy in a Globalised World. He was a contributing editor of Reinventing Socialism.
(Adapted from the author's website: http://www.duncankerr.com/duncan.htm sighted 30/05/2005)
