ABA WELCOMES NEW PRESIDENT, MS JENNIFER BATROUNEY QC
19 November 2018
The Australian Bar Association is pleased to announce the election of Ms Jennifer Batrouney QC as President for the 2018-19 year.
The ABA represents Australia’s 6000 barristers and Ms Batrouney is only the 4th female President of the ABA since its establishment in 1963.
Ms Batrouney is a leading revenue and charity law silk. She is Immediate Past President of the Victorian Bar and of the Tax Bar Association. She is also a former President of Australian Women Lawyers.
Ms Batrouney said “During my term as President, I will continue to promote the high-quality specialist advocacy and advisory services provided by Australia’s barristers both here and overseas. I will ensure that the ABA draws upon the experience of its members to advance public debate on law reform and legal policy issues, uphold the rule of law and protect the independence of the legal profession and the judiciary. In particular, I will encourage the highest standards of ethics and diversity across the profession. I congratulate and look forward to working with the new Executive and Council of the ABA.”
Ms Batrouney also paid tribute to the work of the outgoing President, Noel Hutley SC, in particular, “for his work in strengthening the ABA committee structure, in scrutinising the proposed family law reforms and for his advocacy in supporting the independence of the judiciary”.
Ms Batrouney has over 25 years experience as a barrister. She is Chair of the ABA’s Tax Committee and Chair of the Law Council of Australia’s Charity Law committee. She teaches Tax and Charity Law in the Melbourne Law School Master’s program and is a member of the Melbourne Law School Advisory Council and Tax Masters Advisory panel. She is a member of the Victorian Bar Indigenous Justice Committee and is the elected member of the Victorian Legal Services Board. She was the Law Institute Mentor of the Year in 2014.
Ms Batrouney is married to Steve and they have two adult sons, James and Mark.
At the AGM the following office bearers were also appointed for 2018/19:
| Matthew Howard SC | Vice-President |
| Gavin (Sandy) Thompson QC | Vice-President |
| Kenneth Archer | Treasurer |
| Michael McHugh SC | Honorary Secretary |
| Ian Robertson SC | Chair, Advocacy Training Council |
MEDIA ENQUIRIES: Cindy Penrose, CEO ceo@austbar.asn.au (m) 0420 309 420