Bar Council

The Bar Council manages the activities of the Bar supported by a group of committees for specific interest groups and areas of the Bar's administration.

 

All Victorian Bar activities are managed by a Council of 21 members. Council elections are held each year and followed by the appointment of office bearers. Council is assisted by a number of committees, associations and working groups as well as administrative support from Bar Office staff.

Activities

Council manages the Victorian Bar’s business and affairs. It meets every three weeks.

Council has responsibility either directly or indirectly for activities of the Bar, including:

  • providing, through its wholly-owned service company Barristers Chambers Ltd (‘BCL'), access to professional chambers located in the vicinity of the courts and organised on a collective basis through volunteer committee membership
  • contributing to public policy making and legislation by submissions directly to government and collaborating, when appropriate, with the Law Institute of Victoria, the Law Council of Australia and the Australian Bar Association providing, in conjunction with the Public Interest Law Clearing House,
  • a pro bono legal assistance scheme sustaining and regulating a system of clerking whereby administrative and marketing services are provided to barristers by a number of clerks licensed by the Bar Council
  • administering a benevolent fund, which is a charitable trust established by the Bar Council to assist barristers in needy circumstances
  • supporting a social and dining club for its members, The Essoign Club

Bar Council Members

Full details of all members of the Bar Council are shown below.

 

Category A: Eleven counsel who are Queen's Counsel, Senior Counsel or junior counsel of not less than fifteen years standing

Committee: Category A: Eleven counsel who are Queen's Counsel, Senior Counsel or junior counsel of not less than fifteen years standing
Position: President
Committee: Category A: Eleven counsel who are Queen's Counsel, Senior Counsel or junior counsel of not less than fifteen years standing
Position: Senior Vice-President
Committee: Category A: Eleven counsel who are Queen's Counsel, Senior Counsel or junior counsel of not less than fifteen years standing
Position: Junior Vice-President
Committee: Category A: Eleven counsel who are Queen's Counsel, Senior Counsel or junior counsel of not less than fifteen years standing
Position: Honorary Treasurer
Committee: Category A: Eleven counsel who are Queen's Counsel, Senior Counsel or junior counsel of not less than fifteen years standing
Position: Member
Committee: Category A: Eleven counsel who are Queen's Counsel, Senior Counsel or junior counsel of not less than fifteen years standing
Position: Member
Committee: Category A: Eleven counsel who are Queen's Counsel, Senior Counsel or junior counsel of not less than fifteen years standing
Position: Member
Committee: Category A: Eleven counsel who are Queen's Counsel, Senior Counsel or junior counsel of not less than fifteen years standing
Position: Member
Committee: Category A: Eleven counsel who are Queen's Counsel, Senior Counsel or junior counsel of not less than fifteen years standing
Position: Member
Committee: Category A: Eleven counsel who are Queen's Counsel, Senior Counsel or junior counsel of not less than fifteen years standing
Position: Assistant Honorary Treasurer
Committee: Category A: Eleven counsel who are Queen's Counsel, Senior Counsel or junior counsel of not less than fifteen years standing
Position: Member

Category B: Six counsel who are not of Queen's Counsel or Senior Counsel and are of not more than fifteen nor less than six years standing

Committee: Category B: Six counsel who are not of Queen's Counsel or Senior Counsel and are of not more than fifteen nor less than six years standing
Position: Member
Committee: Category B: Six counsel who are not of Queen's Counsel or Senior Counsel and are of not more than fifteen nor less than six years standing
Position: Member
Committee: Category B: Six counsel who are not of Queen's Counsel or Senior Counsel and are of not more than fifteen nor less than six years standing
Position: Member
Committee: Category B: Six counsel who are not of Queen's Counsel or Senior Counsel and are of not more than fifteen nor less than six years standing
Position: Member
Committee: Category B: Six counsel who are not of Queen's Counsel or Senior Counsel and are of not more than fifteen nor less than six years standing
Position: Member
Committee: Category B: Six counsel who are not of Queen's Counsel or Senior Counsel and are of not more than fifteen nor less than six years standing
Position: Member

Category C: Four counsel who are not of Queen's Counsel or Senior Counsel and are of less than six years standing

Committee: Category C: Four counsel who are not of Queen's Counsel or Senior Counsel and are of less than six years standing
Position: Member
Committee: Category C: Four counsel who are not of Queen's Counsel or Senior Counsel and are of less than six years standing
Position: Member
Committee: Category C: Four counsel who are not of Queen's Counsel or Senior Counsel and are of less than six years standing
Position: Member
Committee: Category C: Four counsel who are not of Queen's Counsel or Senior Counsel and are of less than six years standing
Position: Member

Honorary Secretaries appointed by the Victorian Bar Council

Committee: Honorary Secretaries appointed by the Victorian Bar Council
Position: Honorary Secretary
Committee: Honorary Secretaries appointed by the Victorian Bar Council
Position: Assistant Honorary Secretary

Counsel Committee

Committee: Counsel Committee
Position: Chair
Committee: Counsel Committee
Position: Honorary Secretary
Committee: Counsel Committee
Position: Assistant Honorary Secretary
Committee: Counsel Committee
Position: Member
Committee: Counsel Committee
Position: Member
Committee: Counsel Committee
Position: Member
Committee: Counsel Committee
Position: Member
Committee: Counsel Committee
Position: Member
Committee: Counsel Committee
Position: Member
Committee: Counsel Committee
Position: Staff

BAR/LIV Committee

Committee: BAR/LIV Committee
Position: President
Committee: BAR/LIV Committee
Position: Senior Vice President
Committee: BAR/LIV Committee
Position: Junior Vice-President
Committee: BAR/LIV Committee
Position: Hon. Treasurer