Victoria Legal Aid

To apply for membership to the Criminal Trial Preferred Barrister List you will need to submit an expression of interest.

Expressions of interest

Expressions of interest for membership on the Criminal Trial Preferred Barrister List can be made at any time. These applications will be considered at the next available Preferred Barrister List Selection Committee meeting.

How to apply

To apply to be a member of the Criminal Trial Preferred Barrister List, ensure you meet the entry requirements and assessment guidelines.

Download and complete the form (updated October 2022):

Email your form, along with attachments, via email to preferredbarristerlist@vla.vic.gov.au.

When to apply

Barristers can apply for membership of the Criminal Trial Preferred Barrister List at any time. All applications will be assessed as part of the quarterly assessment cycle.

How applications are assessed

Decisions about list entry, removal or suspension are made by the Criminal Trial Preferred Barrister List Selection Committee.

The committee is chaired by Victoria Legal Aid’s Executive Director of Legal Practice (or their delegate) and includes:

  • the Executive Director of Criminal Law (or their delegate), and
  • Chief Counsel, Victoria Legal Aid Chambers (or their delegate).

The committee may seek advice from external stakeholders when considering refusal, suspension or removal decisions. Stakeholder members may provide advice but will not make decisions.

Assessment process

Applications are assessed on the basis of all materials provided, Victoria Legal Aid knowledge of the applicant, stakeholder advice and information from internal and publicly available records.

The committee may defer discussion of an application to seek further information from the applicant, or any other relevant party, that is required to make the assessment.

Refusing entry to the list

If the committee intends not to include a barrister on the list, it will notify the applicant of its intention, outlining its reasons. It will then allow the applicant to provide written submissions addressing the reasons, within a set timeframe, before a decision is made.

The chair of the committee makes the final decision in the event that the committee cannot agree.

Where a barrister is refused entry to the list, the chair will provide reasons for the decision in writing.

Review

Victoria Legal Aid does not offer a review of its decision to refuse entry.

However, if refused, an applicant may reapply six months later. This is intended to allow the applicant sufficient time to address the reasons, concerns and issues underpinning the refusal before reapplying.

Contact

If you would like more information, please contact:

Co-ordinator, Major Criminal Cases
Email: PreferredBarristerList@vla.vic.gov.au
Phone: (03) 9606 5224

Disclaimer: The material in this print-out relates to the law as it applies in the state of Victoria. It is intended as a general guide only. Readers should not act on the basis of any material in this print-out without getting legal advice about their own particular situations. Victoria Legal Aid disclaims any liability howsoever caused to any person in respect of any action taken in reliance on the contents of the publication.

We help Victorians with their legal problems and represent those who need it most. Find legal answers, chat with us online, or call us. You can speak to us in English or ask for an interpreter. You can also find more legal information at www.legalaid.vic.gov.au

Reviewed 17 October 2022