Best Practice Guidelines

The first model Best Practice Guidelines were first approved by the Bar Council on 19 June 2014 and are available here.

In light of legislative changes and the Australian Human Rights Commission National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment in Australian Workplaces, the Best Practice Guidelines were updated by the Bar Council, with the assistance of advice from a Working Group and input from a number of Policy Committees.

The updated Best Practice Guidelines were approved in March-April 2022 and are part of a suite of initiatives to address harassment, discrimination and bullying within the profession to encourage diversity in the workplace.

The updated Best Practice Guidelines, approved by the Bar Council in 2022, consist of:

The updated Best Practice Guidelines were launched on 2 June 2022 by the President, Gabrielle Bashir SC, along with former Presidents Tim Game SC and Michael McHugh SC.

All floors and chambers were encouraged at that time, and have been encouraged again since, to seek independent legal advice with respect to the application of the updated Best Practice Guidelines to their chambers, members and staff, in order to ensure their policies remain current in light of relevant and continuing legislative developments and that they are suited to the different structures of different chambers. Nothing in the Best Practice Guidelines should be taken as legal advice.

Following publication of the Best Practice Guidelines chambers were notified there have been amendments to the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) and  the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) which their guidelines should address.

To assist chambers with implementing the updated Best Practice Guidelines, a number of online webinars, including training for Respectful Relations Officers (Webinar 1: Enabling Environments and Webinar 2: RRO Role in Practice), and as to the obligations imposed by the Bar Rules, the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) and the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) are available on CPD Online. Please contact the Association at dppa@nswbar.asn.au if you have any questions or require assistance.

After a lengthy period to allow for legal advice to be obtained by chambers, and having regard to the more recent changes to legislation, the following chambers advised the Association that they have implemented or substantially adopted both the updated  Model Harassment, Discrimination and Bullying Best Practice Guideline, and the updated Model Parental and Other Extended Personal Leave Guidelines:

  • 11th Floor St James Hall Chambers
  • 12 Wentworth Selborne Chambers
  • 13 Wentworth Chambers
  • 13th Floor St James Hall Chambers
  • 153 Phillip Street
  • 3 St James Hall
  • 4 Wentworth Chambers
  • 6 St James Hall Chambers
  • 7 Wentworth Selborne Chambers
  • 8 Wentworth Chambers
  • 8 Windeyer Chambers
  • 2 Selborne
  • 9 Selborne Chambers
  • Ada Evans Chambers
  • Arthur Phillip Chambers
  • Black Chambers
  • Chalfont Chambers
  • Edmund Barton Chambers
  • Eight Selborne Chambers
  • Eleven Wentworth Chambers
  • Family Law Chambers
  • Fifth Floor St James Hall Chambers
  • Forbes Chambers
  • Fourth Floor Selborne Chambers
  • Greenway Chambers
  • Ground Floor Wentworth Chambers
  • H B Higgins Chambers
  • Hargrave Chambers
  • Jack Shand Chambers
  • Latham Chambers
  • Level 22 Chambers
  • Martin Place Chambers
  • Maurice Byers Chambers
  • New Chambers
  • Newcastle Chambers
  • Orange Chambers
  • Queen’s Square Chambers
  • Samuel Griffith Chambers
  • Seven Windeyer Chambers
  • Seventh Floor Garfield Barwick Chambers
  • Sir Anthony Mason Chambers
  • Sixth Floor Selborne Wentworth Chambers
  • Sixth Floor Windeyer Chambers
  • State Chambers
  • Tenth Floor Chambers
  • Tenth Floor St James Hall Chambers
  • University Chambers
  • Waratah Chambers
  • Wentworth Chambers

The following chambers advised the Association that they have implemented or substantially adopted the updated Model Harassment, Discrimination and Bullying Best Practice Guideline approved by the Bar Council in 2022 and have their own Parental Leave Policy:

  • 9 Wentworth Chambers
  • 11th Floor Garfield Barwick Chambers
  • Banco Chambers
  • Wardell Chambers

The following chambers advised the Association that they have implemented or substantially adopted the updated Model Harassment, Discrimination and Bullying Best Practice Guideline approved in 2022:

  • 5 Wentworth Chambers
  • Alinea Chambers
  • Culwulla Chambers
  • Nigel Bowen Chambers

The following chambers have advised that they have developed and adopted their own guidelines or policies addressing matters contained in the 2022 updated Model Best Practice Guidelines:

  • Frederick Jordan Chambers
  • Lachlan Macquarie Chambers
  • P G Hely Chambers
  • Sir Owen Dixon Chambers

The following chambers have in place the Best Practice Guidelines approved by the Bar Council in 2014:

  • 5 Selborne Chambers
  • Denman Chambers
  • Henry Parkes Chambers
  • Hunter Street Chambers
  • Sir James Martin Chambers
  • Trust Chambers
  • Two Wentworth Chambers
  • William Deane Chambers