Key Dates
| 1841 | The first barristers are admitted to practise law in Victoria, although this applies only to men. |
| 1897 | Grata Matilda Flos Greig enrols as Victoria 's first female law student at the University of Melbourne . |
| 1903 | The Victorian Parliament passes the Women's Disabilities Removal Act enabling women to become legal practitioners. "No person shall, by reason of sex be deemed to be under any disability for admission to practise as a barrister and solicitor of the Supreme Court of Victoria any law or usage to the contrary not withstanding." - Women's Disabilities Removal Act (Vic) No 1873 of 1903, section 5 |
| 1905 | Flos Greig becomes the first woman admitted to practise law in Victoria, but it is almost another twenty years before the first woman joins the Victorian Bar. |
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Click here to read Flos Greig's article "The Law as a Profession for Women" published in 1909 in the Commonwealth Law Review. You will need Adobe PDF reader to view this article, click here to download if you do not already have it. |
Flos Greig
Barristers are specialist advocates. Barristers are independent - each barrister works alone.
Barristers argue cases in court; they give advice; they settle (finalise) documents. Typically, a barrister is engaged through a solicitor. Barristers also conduct, and appear in, mediations and arbitrations. Excellence is recognised by appointment as Senior Counsel (SC) - formerly Queen's Counsel (QC) - referred to as 'silk' because of the distinctive silk gown.
