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Robert Blissenden
Considered a senior practitioner of the Family Court in Hobart, Robert Blissenden is highly regarded in the legal profession in Tasmania.
With over 28 years legal experience, Robert has practiced in Hobart’s northern suburbs since June 1985 when he joined Lowrie Longbottom and Blissenden which was founded by a the former Mayor of Glenorchy and MLC, Ken Lowrie.
In 1989 the firm became known as Lowrie Blissenden and Howarth and in 1996 after merging with Arthur Tauber’s practice at Glenorchy, became Lowrie Blissenden Howarth and Tauber. The firm later merged with Avery Keal in 2001 under the name Avery Partners and that firm became known as Blissenden Lawyers in May 2006.
Robert has practiced in most areas of the law but since 2001 has specialised in family law, abuse claims on behalf of victims of priests and others, and civil litigation including professional negligence claims and estate litigation.
Educated at St Patrick’s College in Sutherland, NSW, Robert graduated from the Australian National University with a BA/LLB (Honours in Law) with his honours paper in Administrative Law.
In 1978, Robert undertook the Legal Practice Course in Tasmania and in 1980 was admitted as a Practitioner of the Supreme Court of Tasmania.
Notable cases that he has been involved in have included:
- Obtaining an order from the Supreme Court quashing an order of a Magistrate imprisoning leading anti-battery hen campaigner, Pam Clark, and subsequently prosecuting a successful claim for Ms Clark for damages for wrongful imprisonment by a Magistrate.
- Establishing on a lower court of appeal that an honest and reasonable mistake can be a defence in breathalyser matters.
- Representing weightlifter Ron Laycock, in what is believed to be the first drug doping case to be heard by an ASDA Tribunal.
- Being junior counsel in a murder trial where the verdict was manslaughter.
- Extensive appearances in child welfare matters including appeals which led to extensive changes in the practice of the then Department of Child Welfare.
Married to Irena who is the Manager of the Public Communications Unit at the Department of Education, Robert has two daughters, both graduates of the University of Tasmania. One is a Teacher and the other a Pharmacist.
Offering considerable time to the local community and mostly on a voluntary basis, Robert has been
- Honorary Solicitor for the Tassie Devils Basketball Club for 9 years
- Director of the Tassie Devils Basketball Club for 1 year
- Director and the last Chairman of the Board of NBL Pty Ltd.
- A member of the Boards at Mt. Carmel College and Guildford Young College.
- Solicitor and Board member of Langford Support Services and Caroline House.
- Solicitor for the Tasmanian Pacing Club.
- Solicitor for the Tasmanian School Bus Association.
- Member of Moonah and Glenorchy Business Association.
- Member of the Professional Standards Committee (Archdiocese of Hobart)
In his recreational time, Robert enjoys reading, wine, most sports and was a former A Pool Hockey Umpire. |
