Deputy Chairperson of the Refugee Appeal Division
Paula Thompson was appointed as the Deputy Chairperson of the Refugee Appeal Division (RAD) in April 2019. Ms. Thompson has also served as Assistant Deputy Chairperson at the RAD. Previously, as IRB Chief of Staff, she provided strategic leadership and policy advice to a number of former IRB Chairpersons. Ms. Thompson has extensive experience in refugee law and adjudication and has held a number of executive positions within the IRB. Paula has also worked with the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) in Bosnia-Hercegovina, Romania and Ukraine.
Ms. Thompson has a Master of Laws degree in International Human Rights Law from the University of Essex in the United Kingdom. An expert in minority rights in the former Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, Paula has also studied at the University of Vienna and Carleton University. She is a recipient of the Public Service Award of Excellence.