The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is one of the most demanding forums a person can be asked to front in New South Wales. This week, the University of Wollongong inquiry reached the witness at the centre of it, and O’Brien Criminal & Civil Solicitors is on the record acting for her.
Former UOW chief governance officer Alyssa White began giving evidence on Wednesday 8 July 2026, on what the ABC reported as day 13 of public hearings. Ms White has not been charged with any offence, she is giving her account to an inquiry that is still running. Most importantly, the allegations before it remain untested.
Our Principal Solicitor, Peter O’Brien, who acts for Ms White, appeared in the ABC’s coverage of the day.
The University of Wollongong ICAC Inquiry: On The Record For Alyssa White
This week, the University of Wollongong inquiry reached the witness at the centre of it, and O’Brien Criminal & Civil Solicitors is on the record acting for her.
Former UOW Chief Governance Officer Alyssa White began giving evidence on Wednesday 8 July 2026, on what the ABC reported as day 13 of public hearings. Ms White has not been charged with any offence. She is giving her account to an inquiry that is still running, and, most importantly, the allegations before it remain untested.
Our Principal Solicitor, Peter O’Brien, acts for Ms White. He appeared in the ABC’s coverage of the day, pictured alongside her as she arrived and again with her legal team entering the commission.
What Is The UOW ICAC Inquiry Actually About?
The inquiry is examining recruitment practices and governance at the University of Wollongong. In broad terms, the commission is looking at how a number of appointments into the university’s governance division came about.
Ms White is the former Chief Governance Officer at the University of Wollongong, whose conduct has featured through the hearings. As the ABC reported, counsel assisting has put a series of propositions to her about those recruitment processes. Ms White has now begun responding to those propositions in the witness box.
It is important to note that none of this is a finding. ICAC hears evidence and tests allegations in public; a public hearing is a stage in an investigation, not a verdict.
What Did Ms White Tell The Commission?
Ms White told the inquiry she took the Chief Governance Officer role because her former university had asked for help.
“The University of Wollongong is my alma mater … I felt that they had asked for help.”
– Ms White explained, as reported by the ABC.
Our client said she had reservations about leaving a senior governance role at the University of Sydney, where she saw future opportunities. However, she stated that Wollongong had given her a commerce degree, a management cadetship and a start to her career. She described a university whose governance systems were less mature than those she had worked with, with highly manual processes when she arrived.
Ms White is set to give evidence over three days, and the ABC reported she will continue on Friday.
Why Does Representation At An Inquiry Like This Matter?
An ICAC witness sits in an unusual position. The commission has coercive powers, the ordinary right to silence is heavily modified, and evidence is given in public and reported as it happens.
That combination is why people called before ICAC seek experienced representation early. The questions are adversarial, the record is permanent, and how evidence is given can matter as much as what is said.
It is also where two sides of this firm meet. O’Brien Criminal & Civil Solicitors built its name standing beside people who found themselves up against the full weight of the state. A commission of inquiry is exactly that: an individual facing one of the most powerful investigative bodies in the country.
Whether the person in the witness box is a first-time defendant or a senior executive, our principles are the same: everyone is entitled to be properly represented when that power is turned on them.
That work now runs across the full range of high-stakes investigations: ICAC and public inquiries, ASIC and regulatory investigations, and white-collar and fraud matters, alongside the coronial inquests and claims against the state the firm has long been known for.
How O’Brien Criminal & Civil Solicitors Can Help
If you have been served with a summons to give evidence at ICAC, or you have learned you are a person of interest in an investigation, the time to get advice is before you are in the room, not after.
Our team advises and represents witnesses and people of interest in ICAC and other public inquiries, ASIC and regulatory investigations, and serious white-collar and fraud matters across New South Wales.
Get in touch via the form below or call us on (02) 9261 4281.
Peter O'Brien is the Principal Solicitor of O'Brien Criminal & Civil Solicitors and Australia's leading expert in intentional torts litigation, with over 25 years of experience securing landmark victories in malicious prosecution and unlawful imprisonment cases. Author of Intentional Tort Litigation in Australia and recipient of the Law Council of Australia President's Medal, Peter has achieved record-breaking compensation for clients and is widely recognised for his unwavering commitment to access to justice.
