This President’s Message comes at a sad and difficult time as we attempt to comprehend the horror which unfolded at Bondi on Sunday and support our friends and colleagues affected by it.
I repeat here the statement which the ABA issued on Monday, 15 December 2025.
"The Australian Bar Association acknowledges with deep sorrow the tragic events which unfolded at Bondi Beach yesterday evening.
Our thoughts are with the families and friends who lost loved ones in yesterday’s horrific attack and with its survivors who will bear the scars for many years.
We stand with the members of Australia’s Jewish community who were the direct targets of this terrible attack. Jewish Australians are entitled to live in a society free from fear, intimidation and violence. Yesterday’s senseless attack was an attack on the values and way of life of all Australians.
We acknowledge Jewish members of the national bar and, in particular, those Jewish members of the New South Wales Bar who are directly impacted by this event. We acknowledge the pain and suffering that their families are enduring and want to assure them of our unqualified support at this difficult time.
The Australian Bar Association is committed to upholding the rule of law and to fostering a tolerant, diverse and respectful Australian society. Antisemitism and racism are completely unacceptable and have no place in our society.
We take this opportunity to thank the ordinary members of the community and first responders whose brave actions in harrowing circumstances prevented further loss of life. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this terrible event."
New Executive
On 25 November 2025, an Annual General Meeting was held at which the following were elected to the Executive of the ABA for 2026.
The constituent body representatives are:
I take this opportunity to acknowledge the work of Roísín Annesley KC, who has just completed her term as President of the ABA. Roísín has a long association with the ABA, having served on the Council initially as President of the Victorian Bar, then for two years as Vice President of the ABA, and finally as ABA President in 2025. Roísín continues as a member of Council and the Executive in her role as Immediate Past President and we look forward to continuing to work with her and benefitting from her experience and insights.
Life membership
At the Annual General Meeting on 25 November 2025, the ABA conferred Life Membership on two individuals for exceptional service to the ABA over many years. Their Life Membership will be formally acknowledged at the ABA New Silks Dinner in February 2026.
Peter Dunning KC, former Solicitor-General of Queensland, served as President of the ABA in 2023 and 2024, having served previously as Treasurer and Vice-President in 2021 and 2022. He continued on the ABA Council in the newly created role of Immediate Past President in 2025. Peter has been a frequent fixture at swearing in ceremonies around the country, has been tireless in raising awareness of issues of importance to the national bar and has been instrumental in recent months in the last year in completing a number of significant projects including the publication of ABA Best Practice Guidelines and the establishment of a new Law Reporting Council for Australia.
Ian Robertson-Clark SC, a former President of the South Australian Bar, has served as Chair of the ABA’s Advocacy Training Council for almost 10 years and has been a member of the ABA Council for much of that time. Under his stewardship, the Advocacy Training Council has flourished and now conducts several courses each year around the country, including the Essential Trial Advocacy Course, the Advanced Trial Advocacy Intensive and the Appellate Advocacy Workshop. The ABA Council has long benefitted from Ian’s deep institutional knowledge and commitment to advocacy training.
AML-CTF
The Immediate Past President, Roisin Annesley KC, has previously written to you regarding the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter Terrorism Financing Amendment Act 2024.
Most obligations under the regime take effect in their application to lawyers and other professional service providers from July 2026. Whilst there is a carve out in respect of barristers instructed by solicitors, barristers accepting direct briefs need to be familiar with the provisions as they may be a reporting entity and will need to comply with the obligations under the legislation, which are significant and onerous.
AUSTRAC has recently released guidance to the profession regarding the operation of the AML-CTF regime.
The ABA intends to conduct a seminar in early 2026 which will be made available to all barristers to assist them in understanding when they are required to comply with the regime.
World Bar Conference
Next year, the New Zealand Bar Association, with the assistance of the ABA, will host the International Council of Advocates and Barristers (ICAB) World Bar Conference in Queenstown. Planning and recruitment of speakers is currently underway. Additional details will be provided as soon as they are available.
The end of the year provides an opportunity to reflect on the Court's achievements and milestones over the past 12 months.
In late October, the Court’s Annual Report 2024–25 was tabled in Parliament. With this year's Report centred on the theme of accessible justice, I would like to continue that focus in this final update of the year, recognising the collective effort across the Court, the judiciary and the wider profession to make our justice system more efficient, inclusive and responsive.
Developments concerning practice and procedure
In previous contributions, I provided updates on the Court’s National General Protection List: a pilot program for the initial case management of proceedings filed under the general protections provisions of Chapter 3, Part 3-1 of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).
Since the pilot’s establishment in September 2024, the List has managed 125 proceedings, referred 70% to mediation and achieved a 62.5% settlement rate. Results of the pilot suggested the List did not negatively affect case management standards or accessibility for litigants while realising real time savings for the judiciary.
The List has received broad support from judges, registrars, and professional groups. The success of the List reflects the Court’s ongoing commitment to resolving its proceedings efficiently and effectively.
Accordingly, consideration is being given to the permanent adoption of the List as a case management mechanism for general protections matters.
Separately, the Federal Court has recently updated the list of Judges in the Native Title and Intellectual Property National Practice Areas.
Engagement with the profession and community
The Court hosted the African Australian Legal Network (AALN) Mooting Competition, held over three weeks from 4 September 2025, with the Grand Final taking place on 15 October 2025.
Fourteen FCA judges presided in this year’s competition. The competition provided an opportunity for law students and early-career practitioners to strengthen their research and advocacy skills in litigation, experience the courtroom environment and engage directly with members of the judiciary. It was delightful to preside with Justice O’Bryan over the final, and to see the Melbourne No 1 Courtroom full of members and supporters of the AALN. What a talented and enthusiastic group of young lawyers and law students.
I thank Justice Murphy and his Honour’s Chambers for coordinating the competition and congratulate the AALN on another successful year of supporting the next generation of legal professionals. The Federal Court looks forward to hosting this event again in 2026.
Ceremonial sittings of the Full Court to receive announcements of appointments of Senior Counsel in and for the State of New South Wales, Victoria and Queensland were held 21 October 2025, 24 November 2025 and 11 December 2025 respectively. These short but meaningful ceremonies offer public recognition of the milestone counsel have achieved, but also of the important role that senior counsel play in our justice system as leaders of the profession. The Judges, Registrars and staff of the Court congratulate all those who have been appointed Senior Counsel in 2025.
The Australian Legal Convention was held from 20–22 November 2025 in Canberra. The event was hosted by the High Court of Australia on behalf of the Council of Chief Justices, and organised by the National Judicial College of Australia.
The Convention was attended by members of the judiciary, the academy, the legal profession, and the community justice sector. Chief Justice Gageler invited participants to engage in a national dialogue ‘to set a trajectory towards formulating practical solutions to current challenges of national concern’. The Convention was structured by reference to seven broad themes: Legitimacy, Artificial Intelligence, Family and Sexual Violence, Institutional Well-being, First Nations Justice, Access to Justice and Legal Education and Training. In relation to each theme, the questions open to be explored through a combination of plenary addresses, workshops and informal conversations were:
1. What are the challenges?
2. What are the impediments to meeting those challenges?
3. What are the solutions?
4. What can be achieved within a realistic timeframe?
I chaired the session on First Nations Justice, together with a remarkable group of First Nations judges, lawyers and community leaders. Justices Perram, Charlesworth and Stellios all spoke in three other sessions. The Program can be found here. The Convention was livestreamed, and it is hoped a recording of all sessions will be available. The Council of Chief Justices will in 2026 consider what was said during the Convention on the four issues above.
The Federal Court welcomed two law students from 24 to 28 November 2025 as part of the Victorian Bar’s Diversity Internship Program. One student interned with the chambers of Justice Rofe, and the second interned with the chambers of Justices Hespe and Button.
The program supports students from culturally and racially marginalised backgrounds who may have limited connections in the legal profession or who face financial barriers to entry. It is designed to promote inclusivity and provide practical insight into the profession. The internship program generally runs for three weeks: law students spend a week with a member of the Victorian Bar, a week with a judge or tribunal member from a participating institution, and a week with a judge or member of another participating jurisdiction. I congratulate the Victorian Bar on this initiative, it is one the Federal Court is keen to support.
International Programs
Our International Programs Unit has continued to maintain its high level of activity as we near the end of the year.
In very recent news, the Federal Court has received approval from DFAT for a new and innovative judicial cooperation program with our Pacific partner countries including:
In December 2025, the Court will commence this new 4-year, DFAT funded project to enhance the quality and resilience of judicial services provided by courts in 15 Pacific Island countries and to improve the accessibility, efficiency, and effectiveness of court services within those courts. The project will involve a package of targeted activities including:
This an exciting opportunity for the Court to continue to develop strong relationships with partner courts within the region, to share legal and technical expertise and to brainstorm on solutions to the many challenges faced by courts within the region. It also provides a chance for judges and court staff interested in the Court’s international work to support project activities within the region.
From 18 to 20 November, the Court hosted 10 judicial officers and staff from the Supreme Court of Indonesia for a program on court security arrangements. The visit included briefings from the Federal Court’s Security team on coordinated security, risk assessments, cyber security and the management of security contractors. The Court also arranged meetings with the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria, County Court of Victoria, Sheriff’s Office Victoria and Victoria Police.
Judicial education
At the start of November, the Court held a Workshop for FCA Judges appointed in the last three years. These appointees number around 30, a substantial cohort. Most recently appointed Judges attended. This was a peer-to-peer style workshop, with more senior judges designing and delivering sessions on a variety of topics including case management techniques and strategies, the management of large and complex matters, ex tempore reasons, and collaborative work with Registrars.
Conclusion
As I said in the Annual Report, there is much to be grateful for, and much to look forward to, as our Court continues to grow, develop and innovate to ensure we do our best to serve the needs of the Australian community. I wish you all a safe and restful holiday season, and I look forward to keeping you up to date with the work of the Court in 2026.
AUSTRAC has released guidance which seeks to provide an overview of the new designated services listed under table 6 of subsection 6(5B) to the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006 (the Act).
The guidance can be accessed here.
The Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia has launched Best Practice, a free podcast series for family lawyers and law students.
Best Practice is designed for family lawyers of all levels of experience, and we think it's a fantastic resource to help practitioners best represent their clients' interests before the Courts, and to give law students or junior lawyers the best information from the outset.
The series features conversations between Registrars of the Courts, who take listeners behind the Act, the Rules and the people, to explore the family law system from their unique perspectives. ‘Best Practice’, hosted by Senior Judicial Registrar and Executive Director - National Registrar Operations and Practice Anne-Marie Rice, provides insights from some of the Courts’ Registrars (together with some other special guests) into what makes a great family lawyer, with a focus on children and families.
The podcast is available here or via most podcast platforms.
5th IATC ConferenceThe International Advocacy Training Council is pleased to announce that the 5th Conference of the IATC will be taking place in Penang, Malaysia, from 1 to 3 May 2026.
The theme of the conference is The Art of Advocacy. The programme will cover a variety of practical advocacy topics which will be of interest to advocates of all levels of experience and fields of practice. As usual, the speakers will be experienced advocates from IATC member jurisdictions across the globe.
The host city is vibrant George Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site and multicultural hub known for its art, food and architecture.
The programme and other details including the all important registration link can be accessed via the conference website at https://iatc.ievent.hk. Please note that there is an early bird discount available for those who register and pay before 31 December 2025.
The Tasmanian Bar’s Spring Bench and Bar Drinks took place at the Art Gallery of Tasmania on Friday 14 November. The Hon. Chief Justice Christopher Shanahan of the Supreme Court of Tasmania spoke about his enthusiasm for building and strengthening the independent referral bar in Tasmania.
A number of members of the ABA Council were in attendance, with the ABA’s quarterly meeting taking place the following morning.
Top row, left to right: Damien O’Brien KC (QLD), Sally Heidenreich (SA), Sam Hay KC (VIC), Michael Izzo SC (NSW) and Cate Heywrorth-Smith KC (QLD)
Bottom row, left to right: Amanda Utt (CEO – VIC), Kelsey Rissman (CEO – QLD), Greg Tolhurst (CEO – ABA), Ian Robertson-Clark SC (SA), Mary Anne Ryan (TAS), Dominic Toomey SC (NSW), Liz Barr (EA – ABA) and Peter Dunning KC (QLD)
