Portrait of the Honourable Stephen Charles AO QC

On Monday the Bar hosted an intimate gathering of family and friends in the Peter O’Callaghan QC Gallery for the unveiling of the portrait of the Honourable Stephen Charles AO QC, by Ralph Heimans AM. It is an extraordinary painting, beautifully capturing the likeness of Stephen. It depicts him standing in the Supreme Court Library, in a reflective but optimistic mood. It is a wonderful addition to the Gallery. It will be permanently hung later in the year.

Welcome to our newest readers

Yesterday marked the first day of the September 2019 readers’ course. We have 48 new readers—26 women and 22 men, including two readers from Papua New Guinea, Rebecca Koralyo and Amanda Ila, who are reading with Anna Robertson and Maya Rozner. We also have an International Commission of Jurists-sponsored visitor from Malaysia, Collin Andrew, who will be in Melbourne for a month observing elements of our readers’ course and visiting the courts as an observer.

Advanced Trial Advocacy Intensive

The Advocacy Training Council will hold its renowned Advanced Trial Advocacy Intensive from Monday 20 January to Friday 24 January 2020 in Melbourne.

Bar Readers’ Entrance Exam Review

A review of the Victorian Bar Readers’ entrance exam was recently conducted by a panel comprising Dr Sue McNicol QC (Chair), the Hon Justice Mark Weinberg AO, John Noonan QC, Adrian Finanzio SC, Sarah Keating, Fleur Shand and Nicole Mollard. 

PG Nash QC’s 60 years at the Bar

Congratulations to Gerard Nash QC on achieving 60 years as a practising member of our Bar. Gerry is the only current practising member to have reached this milestone, having signed the Bar Roll on 6 August 1959. 

World premiere – Anthem

At this year’s Melbourne International Arts Festival in October, the Barristers Consortium – a group of members of the Victorian Bar who believe that the arts can transform public discourse and society – will be proud to present the world premiere of Anthem, a new theatrical work billed as “a funny and ferocious portrait of a country unable to reconcile its past, uncertain of its future and political vision”.