'Justice has been done,' declared President Barack Obama when announcing the assassination of Osama bin Laden in May of this year. And generally, around the globe, the actions of the Americans were applauded in ridding the world of this terrorist demagogue.
The very next day, true to form, barrister and human rights activist, Moira Rayner, went into print in Eureka Street arguing that bin Laden should have been captured alive and given a fair trial. 'We have not achieved justice ... by acting unjustly,' she wrote. 'Extra-judicial killings are, as Osama bin Laden's death was, murder.'
Throughout her long and colourful legal career, Rayner has been an unwavering advocate for human rights. However a series of personal and professional crises in 2005 led to a reappraisal of her life, which included an exploration and discovery of a totally new spiritual direction.
Rayner talks about some of these issues in this interview, one of a series with prominent contributors to Eureka Street to mark its 20th anniversary. It took place at Campion Ignatian Spirituality Centre in Melbourne.
She has studied at the centre, recently completing the three-year Arrupe Program that qualifies participants to give the Spiritual Exercises of St Ignatius. The Exercises were originally formulated by St Ignatius of Loyola (1491–1556), the founder of the Jesuit Order.
Brought up in a strict Presbyterian household, as an adult Rayner left this behind and explored secular and Eastern spiritualities before finding the Ignatian Exercises in 2005.
Training as a spiritual director is just one passion of this dynamic and multifaceted woman. She has a law degree with honours, and a Master's degree in public policy. As well as working as a barrister, she has had a leading role in many public institutions that safeguard and foster human rights.
She was Victoria's last Commissioner for Equal Opportunity, and has been acting deputy director of research for the Australian Institute of Family Studies. She was a hearings commissioner of the Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission and the first director of the Office of Children's Rights Commission for London.
She is a registered civil celebrant, providing ceremonies for weddings, commitment services, renewal of vows, name-givings, funerals, adolescent rites of passage, coming-of-age, and major life changes.
Rayner now works for a large law firm in Melbourne, and teaches as a senior fellow at Melbourne University's Law School. She has co-authored several books on governance, human rights, public policy, and the role of women in society.
Peter