President’s Message – 20 December 2024

20/12/2024

This bicentennial year is slowing to a close.

The work of being a barrister is hard, and the rest should be commensurate. The Association wishes all of its members a peaceful and restorative break, in the long light of a summer night. (As Wallace Stevens wrote: “The summer night is like a perfection of thought.”)

Martin Place siege

This week was the 10th anniversary of the Martin Place siege. The siege was tragic for our Bar and the whole community. On Monday, a ceremony was held in Martin Place, attended by guests including the Governor-General, the Governor of NSW, the Prime Minister, the NSW Premier and Jane and Sandy Dawson.

Katrina Dawson was a respected and loved member of our Bar, where she shone. She remains greatly missed. Katrina also had a huge capacity for good, which survives in the Katrina Dawson Award, now in its 8th year. The award encourages and supports women to practise at the Bar and has been awarded to 14 recipients to date.

I know that, despite the intervening decade, for many of our members that day remains vivid and some bear its weight with them still. All barristers, and their families, should feel able to use the services of BarCare, which remains available throughout the holiday period (except on public holidays).

Executive Director

The Association’s Executive Director, Andreas Heger, has given the Bar Council notice that he will be stepping down from 1 July 2025, after over 4 years in the position, to facilitate a sabbatical in Italy with his family.

Andreas has been a genuinely outstanding Executive Director. He has given the association the ineffable benefit of his extensive governmental experience and connections. He has navigated the latter stages of the pandemic, implemented a comprehensive suite of measures addressing harassment, discrimination and bullying at the Bar, implemented measures addressing cyber security risk for the Association and the Bar, modernised the Association’s corporate systems and processes, and implemented a new Enterprise Risk Management Framework. Most recently, he was integral to our successful advocacy in excluding barristers with an instructing solicitor from the AML/CTF reforms.

Andreas considers it a privilege to have led the staff of the Association and support the Executive, Bar Council, committees and members to assist the NSW Bar and deliver the vital work of the Association. He has expressed to me his deep admiration for the NSW Bar and in particular the voluntary contribution made by its members; describing it as unique and wonderful in its scale and continuity.

We will miss Andreas a great deal, but are delighted that he and his family have this opportunity, which we hope is as transformative for them as Andreas has been for the Association.

We will be conducting an executive talent search for a new CEO early in the new year, to ensure a smooth transition.

Ensuring a safe and inclusive legal profession and community

The Association recently issued a statement on antisemitism in light of antisemitic graffiti and property damage in Woollahra, the firebombing of the Adass Israel Synagogue of Melbourne on 6 December 2024, and the increasing antisemitic attacks occurring across Australia.

These events were almost immediately followed by incidents involving Islamophobic graffiti in Western Sydney. The Association condemns Islamophobic attacks of any kind.

All of our Jewish and Muslim barristers have the Association’s full support and should be confident in, and proud of, the huge contribution they make to the administration of justice in NSW.

These incidents aim to incite hatred towards groups within our community and thereby scatter division.

The Association will continue to promote a safe and inclusive NSW Bar. All legal practitioners, regardless of their religion, race, gender, gender identity, sexuality, disability, or age, will be welcomed and valued for their contribution.

Festive season

Information about the Bar Association’s office and library closure and re-opening is available here.

See you all in 2025.


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