Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force - Biography
The Inspector-General of the Australian Defence Force (IGADF) is appointed by the Australian Government to oversee the quality and fairness of Australia’s military justice system.
It is our job to promote trust and justice in the ADF and to ensure all defence personnel have access to a fair and impartial military justice system.
The Inspector-General’s Office, which includes a team of legal, para-legal and support professionals, is an independent statutory body. The Inspector-General reports to the Minister for Defence and is independent of the Australian Defence Force’s chain-of-command.
The Inspector-General is Mr James Gaynor CSC. He is a legal practitioner of more than 30 years’ experience. Since 2003 he has worked principally in independent statutory offices related to military justice. He held significant roles including Deputy Director of Military Prosecutions and Director of Military Justice Performance Review. He commenced in the role of Inspector-General on 1 December 2016.
A former Army officer, Mr Gaynor served in East Timor and in Iraq, where he was awarded the United States Bronze Star Medal. He has three Masters degrees: in Law, Management in Defence Studies, and Public Administration. He is an accredited public law specialist and a member of the NSW Law Society Specialist Accreditation Public Law Advisory Committee.
Mr Gaynor is married with two sons. Outside of work he enjoys spending time with family, swimming, practising yoga and singing in a Canberra choir.