The Clerk of Edmund Barton Chambers is available to provide advice about the areas of practice of individual barristers, and as to their availability for conferences and appearances in Court.
The barristers of Edmund Barton Chambers undertake services in a wide range of areas of practise. They are able to provide opinions or advices, to draft or settle pleadings, or to carry out other appropriate legal drafting work and appear as counsel in all State and Federal jurisdictions.
Edmund Barton Chambers was founded
in 1979 by the (late) Edward (Ted) St John QC, and because it was the first set
of chambers to be organised on a larger scale (being about three times the size
of the traditional grouping) there was a good deal of scepticism at
the time as to its likely success and whether it was departing too much
from the traditional concept. However, with the passage of time this larger
approach has found general acceptance, and indeed, there are now a number
of similar sized chamber groupings withing the NSW Bar.
Because we have some 38
Members and Associates, Edmund Barton Chambers is able to provide a
depth of experience and a range of practice areas, as well as a far
wider variety of courts and tribunals covered, than is possible for the
smaller chamber groupings. It is also a feature of these Chambers and in
the best tradition of the Bar, that its barristers are able to consult each
other in complex or unusual matters, so that there is a spread of
expertise that may not be otherwise available to a solicitor or
client.
One of the advantages of these
Chambers is that its larger scale of operation allows for the provision of
an extensive law library and comprehensive electronic research facilities. More
than $2m has been spent on providing these "tools of the trade" for its
barristers who also have 24 hour access that is often needed for urgent late
night and weekend research.
This larger approach to the way
barristers have previously functioned has also allowed for the provision of
adequate photocopying and business machine facilities and the provision of
conference and common rooms, a comfortable reception area and adequate staff to
handle the administration of the organisation leaving its barristers free
to attend to their respective practices.
In terms of years, Edmund Barton
Chambers is a relatively young organisation, but since our beginning we've had 2
Attorneys-General and some 17 either current or former Members take silk, 10
have become Judges and several have been appointed Crown
Prosecutors.
"In choosing to honour Edmund Barton
by the adoption of his name for these Chambers, it is the hope of our founders
that his ideals of fairness, his generosity of spirit, his love of classics, of
cricket, of good fellowship and, above all, his remembrance at the Bar as being
always most courteous and helpful to younger barristers will be perpetuated by
all who practice within our walls"
From an article written by John de Meyrick to celebrate the first 10 Years of these Chambers
