Rabbi Gutnick is a senior member of the Beth Din (rabbinical court) in Sydney, Australia.
Gutnick has been aggressive in his condemnation of the practice of gett refusal, and is a strong supporter of Halachic prenuptial agreements.
The Sydney Beth Din are one of the few in the world that is approved to perform conversions by the Israeli Chief Rabbinate.
[19] Gutnick was called in early 2015 to testify before the Australian Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
There he said, "I believe the cover-ups and bullying and intimidation that has gone on ... represents the antithesis of the teachings of Chabad and Judaism and orthodoxy.
Manny Waks, an advocate for victims, said, "Today, Rabbi Moshe Gutnick restored my faith in ultra-Orthodox Judaism.
"[21] Later, in 2017, Gutnick was a signatory of a proclamation outlining policies stating that all Chabad-Lubavitch institutions should immediately report all child abuse to the authorities.
Gutnick argued that the board had no right to make this decision and that communal rabbis have life tenure.
He successfully obtained an interlocutory injunction in 2009 from the NSW Supreme Court, preventing his dismissal pending the ruling of a Beth Din "in accordance with Jewish law".
Gutnick emerged with a ruling in his favour, and a payout including costs of close to $1 million.
[31] Gutnick is opposed to same sex marriage, and has signed letters to parliament and written articles expressing his position.
[38] In April 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic, synagogue services were suspended in Australia; Gutnick commented, "We're taking a very strong stance, stronger than the government's in terms of gatherings.
List of synagogues in Australia and New Zealand § New South Wales and Australian Capital Territory