Craig Tanner has over forty years’ experience as a legal practitioner with a focus upon workplace disputes – initially in South Africa, and since 2002 in Australia.
Practising as a Barrister at the New South Wales Bar
Craig commenced practice as a Barrister in 2012. In July of that year he was awarded the Chris Gee QC Memorial Prize for Advocacy and Evidence, for performance in the Bar Examinations and the Bar Practice Course.
Over the past 14 years he has been briefed in a multitude of matters regarding work-related physical and psychological injures, which have proceeded to resolution or determination in the Workers Compensation Commission (“WCC”) and its successor the Personal Injury Commission (“PIC”), as well as on appeal to Presidential Members of the WCC and PIC, and on further appeal to the Court of Appeal. His practice also involves work injury damages matters and Supreme Court review proceedings regarding errors made by Medical Appeal Panels.
He regularly presents papers and delivers addresses to the profession regarding legal developments pertaining to the law of workplace injuries.
He is credited in the current Doyles Guide as Leading Junior Counsel in Insurance & Personal Injury Law.
In 2025 he provided submissions to the parliamentary enquiry conducted by the Legislative Council regarding proposed amendments to the workers compensation legislation affecting those who suffer psychological injuries, and was called as an expert witness to testify before the Public Accounts and Works Committee of the Legislative Council.
Acting as an Arbitrator appointed to the New South Wales Workers Compensation Commission
Craig was appointed as an Arbitrator in the Workers Compensation Commission at the time of establishment of the Commission in 2002. He continued to sit as an Arbitrator until mid 2013.
In that capacity he conducted hundreds of arbitrations, regarding physical and psychological injures, and sat as a convening Arbitral member on Medical Appeal Panels.
Between 2002 and 2008 he also practised as a solicitor in the Employment and Industrial Law section of Maurice Blackburn, representing trade unions and individual employees in industrial and employment disputes.
Practising as a Labour Lawyer in South Africa
In 1987, after completing his articles of clerkship at a top tier law firm that acted for insurers, Craig joined a boutique firm dedicated to advancing the rights of organised labour, becoming its managing partner in 1994.
He regularly appeared in courts, tribunals and arbitrations in matters involving the mass dismissal of hundreds of workers in strikes, lockouts and retrenchments, and responding to injunctions against strike action and picketing.
Among various landmark cases were the reinstatement of 400 auto workers unfairly retrenched by Toyota, the reinstatement of 350 textile workers dismissed by Mooi River Textiles in circumstances of civil unrest and loss of life, and a range of cases addressing principles of freedom of association and issues of substantive and procedural fairness affecting collective bargaining, industrial action and retrenchment.
He had carriage of six matters which proceeded to final and successful determination in the Supreme Court of Appeal (equivalent to the High Court of Australia).
Craig also acted as an arbitrator and mediator appointed by the parties under the aegis of the Independent Mediation Society of South Africa, and was an acting Commissioner in the Commission for Conciliation Mediation and Arbitration that was established in 1996 (with functions similar to the Fair Work Commission).
Craig Tanner graduated from the University of Natal with a BA, an LLB and an LLM (awarded cum laude).