Law Council's 90th Anniversary - Past President Interviews
In celebration of the Law Council of Australia’s 90th Anniversary, the Law Council is celebrating this significant milestone by highlighting its rich history and key achievements throughout the years. As part of this campaign, the Law Council had the privilege to interview a selection of past Presidents, gaining a unique perspective on their time in the role.
Each President had the opportunity to address the below questions:
- Reflecting on your time as Law Council President, what were the three key policy priorities within your term?
- What was your greatest achievement as Law Council President and why?
- What was your most memorable Law Council moment and why?
- Based on your unique perspective as a Law Council President, how has the role of the Law Council over the last 90 years been important and relevant today?
A series of interviews will be published below leading up to the Law Council’s 90th Gala Dinner in December 2023.
Interview with The Hon Alex Chernov AC KC
The first interview of the series, the Law Council had the honour to interview the Hon Alex Chernov AC QC, who served as President in 1990–1991. During his term, Mr Chernov was responsible for initiating and implementing the purchase of the Law Council’s secretariat building on 19 Torrens Street in Canberra.
Read the full interview here.
Read biography here.
Interview with Mr Tass Liveris
The Law Council had the honour to interview immediate past President (2022), Tass Liveris. During his term, Mr Liveris had an active role in the Law Council's relocation project and lead external stakeholder engagement amongst members of the 47th Parliament of Australia.
Read the full interview here.
Interview with Magistrate Pauline Wright
The Law Council had the honour to interview Magistrate Pauline Wright, who served as President in 2020. As Australia emerged into 2020, the country was grieving from a summer of devastating bushfires, and it was the beginning of the worst pandemic the world had faced in over a century. Finding a way for the legal system to continue to function in the face of such unprecedented upheaval was the first priority of Pauline's presidency.
Read the full interview here.
Interview with Mr Gerry Murphy AM
The Law Council had the honour to interview past President, Mr Gerry Murphy AM, who served as President in 1982. During his term, Mr Murphy prioritised the issue of Legal Aid fees. The Law Council developed a national policy on this issue and opposed any reduction in the fees provided to Legal Aid work, providing submissions, and meeting personally with relevant commonwealth officials.
Read the full interview here.
Interview with Ms Anne Trimmer AO
The Law Council had the honour to interview past President, Ms Anne Trimmer AO, who served as President from 2001–2002. Ms Trimmer commenced a major project within the Law Council to look at the challenges for the legal profession 10 years ahead. The challenges the project observed included the influence of technology on legal practice, and the challenge of retaining women in the legal profession.
Read the full interview here.
Interview with Mr Fabian Dixon SC
The Law Council had the honour to interview past President, Mr Fabian Dixon SC, who served as President from 1998 to 1999. During his term, Mr Dixon dealt with several issues, including the Federal Magistracy coming into operation in the Family Court; the situation concerning mandatory sentencing; and the ongoing position concerning the national practising certificate.
Read the full interview here.
Last Updated on 15/01/2024