Michael Tidball commenced as Secretary of the Department of Communities and Justice (DCJ) on 1 February 2022.

Prior to joining DCJ, Mr Tidball had been the Chief Executive Officer of the Law Council of Australia (LCA) and the Secretary-General of LAWASIA. He also served as the CEO of the Law Society of NSW for 14 years.

During his 35-year career, Mr Tidball has worked with Government leaders and ministers, agency heads, industry leaders, the judiciary, non-government organisations and the community.

Mr Tidball began his career in child protection working for the South Australian public service before moving to the Commonwealth to develop community corrections and juvenile justice programs in the lead-up to self-government in the Australian Capital Territory.