2022-23 Practising Certificate Renewals

29/06/2022

Information regarding online renewals

The period for renewals will run until midnight tonight. The late fee is now applicable. No renewals will be accepted after 30 June 2022.

• Practising Certificate renewals will run on the same online system as the past three years.
• Barristers were advised on 4 May 2022 of the URL access to the online renewals portal via email to your nominated practice email address.
• Your login details are the same as those used to login in to the system in previous years and to access the Member Dashboard on our website

If you are unsure as to what your login details are, please reset these through the Member Dashboard or contact reception@nswbar.asn.au.

If you did not receive an email please check your junk folder and, failing that, contact certification@nswbar.asn.au.

Please be advised that payment by cheque is no longer possible.

All payments will be required by one of the following methods:

• Credit Card
• BPay; or
• Direct Deposit.

Information regarding the Online system

• Barristers’ personal details are kept secure.
• The NSW Bar Association will not store your payment details. Payment is secure and Payment Card Industry (PCI) compliant.
• You are able to save your renewal, and return back to it before submitting it as a finalised application. However, once your finalised application is submitted you are unable to revise the application.
• Barristers will be able to quickly attach relevant documentation as part of their renewals.
• You will receive a PDF copy of your renewal and tax invoice(s) to your nominated email address. This occurs instantly upon submission of your renewal.
• You will receive a PDF copy of your practising certificate only, no hard copies will be provided.

Due date

The standard renewal period for practising certificates expired on Tuesday, 7 June 2022 (Clause 4 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Regulation 2015).

By Tuesday, 7 June, the Bar Association should have received:

1. completion of your online practising certificate renewal;
2. confirmation of payment of your renewal; and
3. confirmation from your insurance provider that you have insurance.

Preliminary processing of your practising certificate can begin whilst you are waiting for confirmation of your insurance. However, your practising certificate cannot be issued until proof of professional indemnity insurance coverage has been received.

Your practising certificate cannot be renewed until the Association receives all of the above documents and payment has been cleared.

It is an offence for you to practise (including doing chamber work), or to hold yourself out as a barrister, if you do not hold a current practising certificate.

Parental leave and other carer’s leave

The Association has a policy approved by its Bar Council whereby the treasurer may in certain circumstances waive the practising certificate fee or a proportion of the fee for individuals who are taking time out from practice due to parental and/or other carer responsibilities.

All applications for a fee waiver are to be in writing and signed by the barrister, and shall accompany your application to renew your practising certificate.

The NSW Bar Association’s Fee Waiver Policy can be found here.

Late fee

A late fee of $30 or 10% of the relevant practising certificate fee, whichever is the higher, applies where the practising certificate renewal form and/or fee is received after 7 June 2022 and before 1 July 2022.

Renewals not received and/or received but incomplete after 30 June 2022

After 30 June you cannot lodge an application for renewal. If you have not applied to renew your practising certificate on or before 30 June, you will be required to complete a new Application for a Practising Certificate and provide a statutory declaration confirming that you did not practise between 1 July and the date of the application for your practising certificate before any application can be processed. An additional fee of $30 or 15% of the relevant practising certificate fee, whichever is the higher, applies to all applications received after 30 June where an application to renew should have been received on or before 30 June.

Please also be aware that if you practised after 1 July 2022 without a practising certificate, any fees charged will need to be repaid.

If you did apply to renew on or before 30 June, but did not have professional indemnity insurance approved on or before 30 June and your renewal application is refused it will be necessary for you to complete and lodge a new Application for a practising certificate, pay the additional late fee, and provide a statutory declaration as outlined above.

Information from Professional Conduct

• Please read each of the professional conduct fitness questions carefully.
• In the Parts of the renewal relating to fitness, conduct and disclosures all the relevant legislation will be hyperlinked. Please ensure you review the legislation and understand your obligations under the legislation.
• If you have any questions with regards to your renewal, contact the Professional Conduct Department via email on pcd@nswbar.asn.au with the subject “Online Renewals”.
• If you have received fees in advance in the relevant period, please ensure you have submitted your External Examiner’s report by 7 June 2022.
• External Examiner reports must be submitted by email to clam@nswbar.asn.au.

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