President's Message

19/12/2025

I deliver my final message for 2025 to you with a heavy heart.

On Monday, I issued a President’s Message offering my deepest condolences to those impacted by the horrific act of terrorism at Bondi Beach on Sunday.

The Bar Association stands with Jewish members of the Bar – and with the wider Jewish community – and offers its full support to those who have been affected by this tragedy.

This week, we at the Bar also commemorated the loss of our friend and colleague, Katrina Dawson, who was killed eleven years ago during the Lindt Café siege.

We know that these tragedies will weigh heavily on members of our profession over the holiday break and into 2026. All NSW barristers, and their families, should feel able to use the services of BarCare, which are available throughout the holiday period (except on weekends and public holidays). BarCare can be contacted on 0427 317 958.

Thanks to the hard work of the Wellbeing Committee and the Bar Association’s staff, we are delivering a range of other services and initiatives in early 2026 that members may wish to consider. This includes:

• The next Mental Health First Aid course on 3 February 2026. This early-intervention course is available at no cost to NSW barristers and clerks. It is designed to enhance mental health literacy and to teach skills to support individuals in crisis until professional help is available.

• Events targeted at supporting members’ health and wellbeing, including a CPD on 19 February 2026 to help members understand and address sleep issues.

Members can also access a range of wellbeing resources from the Bar Association Library at the following link.

The NSW Bar prides itself on its collegiality – and our capacity to support each other, no matter which side of the bar table we may stand. I encourage members to uphold this tradition over the holiday period and to look out for friends and colleagues who may be suffering, or otherwise having a tough time, during this time of the year.

Updated guidelines for NSW Barristers on the use of AI language models in legal practice

The Bar Council has approved updated Guidelines on Use of Generative Artificial Intelligence by NSW Barristers, which can be accessed here. These replace the original guidelines first published on 12 July 2023.

Developed by the Bar Association’s Media and Information Law and Technology Committee, in consultation with a Professional Conduct Committee, the updated Guidelines reflect recent legal, professional, practical and technological developments in relation to artificial intelligence (AI), particularly generative AI, and its use by members of the legal profession and the broader community.

The Guidelines are designed to assist barristers in understanding their duties and professional obligations under the Legal Profession Uniform Conduct (Barristers) Rules 2015 (NSW) when using or when confronted by AI in their practice. This includes information about relevant practice notes, recent legal decisions and litigation concerning the use of AI.

Barristers fulfill a critical role in the administration of justice. Decisions about the use of any form of AI should be made with reference to the Barristers Rules, including a barrister’s fundamental duty to the court and the administration of justice, as well as to applicable legislation, contractual and tortious duties and practice notes.

The Bar Association acknowledges the rapid rate at which AI tools and techniques are continuing to evolve. We will stay up to date on legal and technological developments in this area and will continue to monitor and review the Guidelines as required.

I wish you all a restful and peaceful break.

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