Victorian Bar

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The Victorian Bar is the bar association for the Australian State of Victoria. The current President of the Bar is Roisin Annesley QC. Its members are barristers registered to practice in Victoria. On 30 June 2020 there were 2,179 counsel practising as members of the Victorian Bar.^[1] Those who have been admitted to practice by the Supreme Court of Victoria, are eligible to join the Victorian Bar after sitting an entrance exam and completing a Bar readers' course. The Victorian Bar is affiliated with the Australian Bar Association and is a member of the Law Council of Australia.

The first association of barristers in Victoria was formed in 1884, although the first barristers admitted to practice in Victoria were appointed in 1841. On 20 June 1900 an official Bar Council was established, and a Bar Roll was started. By 1902, all barristers practising in Melbourne had signed the Roll. To this day, new barristers sign the Roll when they are admitted to the Bar.

As at June 2019, 30% of barristers at the Victorian Bar were women, and women made up 43% of those with less than 10 years’ practising at the Bar. In 2019, 15% of members were born outside of Australia and 18 languages other than English were spoken at home. Six women have served as Chairs or Presidents of the Bar, including the current President, Roisin Annesley QC, Susan Crennan AC QC, Kate McMillian SC (now the Honourable Justice McMillian), Melanie Sloss SC (now the Honourable Justice Sloss), Fiona McLeod SC, Jennifer Batrouney QC, and the immediate past-President Wendy Harris QC. The President before Ms Harris was Dr Matthew Collins AM QC.

Pro Bono Scheme[]

In 2000, the Victorian Bar launched a Legal Assistance Scheme in association with the Public Interest Law Clearing House, in order to coordinate pro bono work among barristers in Victoria. Chief Justice of Australia Murray Gleeson praised the Bar for its effort in "making access to justice not only a catch-phrase but a practical reality for many people".^[2] The Legal Assistance Scheme, now operating as the 'Pro Bono Scheme' (the Scheme) and PILCH, now operating as Justice Connect, has approximately 1000 participants from the Victorian Bar.

Overseen by the Pro Bono Committee, the Scheme provides assistance to both individuals and community groups. This work includes advocating for human rights, environmental or social justice causes, and helping people who are marginalised, or from disadvantaged backgrounds. The premise of the Scheme is to ensure that everyone has access to legal representation regardless of age, gender, race, disability or socio-economic hardship.

Equitable Briefing[]

In 2016, the Victorian Bar endorsed the National Model Gender Equitable Briefing Policy, launched by the Law Council of Australia to achieve a nationally consistent approach towards bringing about cultural and attitudinal change within the legal profession with respect to gender briefing practices. The Victorian Bar has also adopted the Law Council’s Diversity and Equality Charter. The Commercial Bar Association of Victoria, members of the Judiciary and the Victorian Equal Opportunity and Human Rights Commission have also launched the CommBar Equitable Briefing Initiative to increase briefing of women at all levels, and to engage with the law firms that brief the Commercial Bar to commit to real change.

In 2018/19, the Bar Council established three new working groups to broaden the conversation about diversity at the Bar to include LGBTIQ, disability and accessibility, and race, ethnicity and cultural diversity.

International legal practitioners[]

All lawyers in Australia must first be admitted to practice. In Victoria the process for admission is conducted by the Victorian Legal Board of Admissions (VLAB).

Chairman and Presidents of the Victorian Bar[]

See also[]

• Bar council

References[]

External links[]

• http://www.vicbar.com.au/ - the Victorian Bar's website
• http://www.commbar.com.au/ - Commercial Bar Association of Victoria website