His Honour Judge Michael Rozenes AO QC

Michael Rozenes was born in Poland and migrated with his family to Australia when he was three. After finishing at Brighton Grammar School he attended Monash University, graduating with a Bachelor of Jurisprudence in 1967 and a Bachelor of Law in 1969.

Michael served articles with Frank Galbally of the firm Galbally & O’Bryan and was admitted to the Supreme Courts of Victoria, New South Wales, Tasmania,

Queensland, Western Australia and South Australia in 1971 and subsequently signed the Bar Roll in 1972.

From 1972 to 1976 Michael had a general criminal and common law practice and from 1977 to 1991 he practised exclusively in the criminal jurisdiction with a specialisation in complex taxation, corporate and appellant criminal cases.

He was appointed a Queen’s Counsel in 1986. Over the course of his career at the Bar, Michael served on the Victorian Bar Council, the Criminal Bar Association of Victoria Committee and the Victorian Bar Ethics Committee.

In February 1992, he was appointed Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, where his initial three-year term was extended for a further two years.

In 1997 Michael returned to practice at the private Bar and from 1998 to 2001 was Chairman of the Criminal Bar Association of Victoria.

On 25 November 2002 Michael was appointed as the Chief Judge of the County Court.

In 2010 Michael was made an Officer of the Order of Australia for “distinguished service to the judiciary, particularly as Chief Judge of the County Court of Victoria and the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, and through contributions to law reform and legal education”.