Law Council of Australia

The Law Council of Australia, founded in 1933, is an association of law societies and bar associations from the states and territories of Australia, and the peak body representing the legal profession in Australia. The Law Council represents more than 65,000 lawyers across Australia[[1]] and has its national base in Canberra.

History

The Law Council was formed in 1933 to unite the various state legal associations to represent the profession at a national level and at an international level.[2] Dr Gordon Hughes, a former President of the Law Council, has written a book on the Law Council's history titled The Law Council of Australia – the People, the Profession and the Institutions.[2]

About

The Law Council of Australia represents the legal profession at the national level. It speaks on behalf of its Constituent Bodies on national issues, and to promote the administration of justice, access to justice and general improvement of the law. The Law Council advises governments, courts and federal agencies on ways in which the law and the justice system can be improved for the benefit of the community. The Law Council also represents the Australian legal profession overseas, and maintains close relationships with legal professional bodies throughout the world. The Law Council of Australia speaks on issues of national and international importance, as well as federal law and the operation of federal courts and tribunals.[1]

Through its specialist Sections, working groups, standing and its ad-hoc committees, the Law Council provides interest groups and professional development opportunities for lawyers across a variety of specialised areas of law.

The Law Council has five Sections.[3] The Sections each have various committees with specific areas of interest. The Sections of the Law Council are:

  1. Business Law;[4]
  2. Family Law;[5]
  3. Federal Litigation and Dispute Resolution;[6]
  4. International Law;[7] and
  5. Legal Practice.[8]

The Law Council represents 16 Australian state and territory law societies and bar associations and the Law Firms Australia. The Law Council's Constituent Bodies are:[1]

  • Australian Capital Bar Association
  • Australian Capital Territory Law Society
  • Bar Association of Queensland
  • Law Institute of Victoria
  • Law Society of New South Wales
  • Law Society of South Australia
  • Law Society of Tasmania
  • Law Society Northern Territory
  • Law Society of Western Australia
  • New South Wales Bar Association
  • Northern Territory Bar Association
  • Queensland Law Society
  • South Australian Bar Association
  • Tasmanian Independent Bar
  • Law Firms Australia
  • The Victorian Bar
  • Western Australian Bar Association

List of presidents

List of presidents of the Law Council of Australia:[9]

  • 1933: Herbert Mayo
  • 1934: Richard Clive Teece
  • 1935: John Latham
  • 1936: Francis George Villeneuve Smith
  • 1937: Richard Teece (2nd term)
  • 1938: William Butler
  • 1939: Alec McGill
  • 1940: Reginald Bonney
  • 1941–45: David Maughan
  • 1946: Roy McArthur
  • 1947: Edward Reynolds
  • 1948–49: Robert Vroland
  • 1950–51: Harry Alderman
  • 1952–53: Garfield Barwick
  • 1954–55: Leonard Butts
  • 1956–57: Douglas Menzies
  • 1958–59: Oscar Negus
  • 1960–61: Wilfrid Francis
  • 1962–63: John Bruce Piggott
  • 1964–65: John Kerr
  • 1966–67: Howard Zelling
  • 1968–69: Peter Connolly
  • 1970–71: Thomas Molomby
  • 1972–73: Peter Brinsden
  • 1974–75: Kevin O'Leary
  • 1976–77: David Ferguson
  • 1978: Cedric Thomson
  • 1979: John Carlisle Richards
  • 1980: Peter Cranswick
  • 1981: Donald Mackay
  • 1982: Gerry Murphy
  • 1983: Ian Temby
  • 1984: Cecil Pincus
  • 1984–85: Alan Cornell
  • 1985–86: Michael Gill
  • 1986–87: Daryl Williams
  • 1987–88: John Faulks
  • 1988–89: Denis Byrne
  • 1989–90: Mahla Pearlman
  • 1990–91: Alex Chernov
  • 1991–92: David Miles
  • 1992–93: Robert Meadows
  • 1993–94: John Mansfield
  • 1994–95: Stuart Fowler
  • 1995–96: Michael Phelps
  • 1996–97: Peter Short
  • 1997–98: Bret Walker
  • 1998–99: Fabian Dixon
  • 1999–00: Gordon Hughes
  • 2000–01: Anne Trimmer
  • 2001–02: Tony Abbott
  • 2002–03: Ron Heinrich
  • 2003–04: Bob Gotterson
  • 2004–05: Stephen Southwood
  • 2005–06: John North
  • 2006–07: Tim Bugg
  • 2007–08: Ross Ray
  • 2009: John Corcoran
  • 2010: Glenn Ferguson
  • 2011: Alexander Ward
  • 2012: Catherine Gale
  • 2013: Joseph Catanzariti
  • 2014: Michael Colbran
  • 2015: Duncan McConnel
  • 2016: Stuart Clark
  • 2017: Fiona McLeod
  • 2018: Morry Bailes
  • 2019: Arthur Moses
  • 2020: Pauline Wright[10]

References
  1. "Our Role". www.lawcouncil.asn.au. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  2. "Our History". www.lawcouncil.asn.au. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  3. Roger. "Home". www.lawcouncil.asn.au. Retrieved 15 February 2016.
  4. Roger. "About the BLS". www.lawcouncil.asn.au. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  5. Roger. "FLS Home". www.lawcouncil.asn.au. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  6. Roger. "About the Section". www.lawcouncil.asn.au. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  7. Roger. "ILS". www.lawcouncil.asn.au. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  8. Roger. "About the section". www.lawcouncil.asn.au. Retrieved 11 August 2016.
  9. "About Us: Our Presidents". Law Council of Australia. Retrieved 2 January 2019.
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