An initiative of Justice Tate, the ‘Feedback from the Bench’ moot is aimed at encouraging female counsel to appear in a speaking role in the Court of Appeal.
On Saturday 18 August 2018, the Court of Appeal conducted the third annual ‘Feedback from the Bench’ moot for women barristers. An initiative of Justice Tate, the moot is aimed at encouraging female counsel to appear in a speaking role in the Court of Appeal.
Court of Appeal statistics record that, from July 2017 to June 2018, female counsel had a speaking role in only 7 per cent of civil appeals and 20 per cent of criminal appeals.
The moot problem was a civil application for leave to appeal. The moot participants appeared before a Bench of women judges. This year, Justices Tate, Emerton, Jane Dixon, Kennedy, Richards and Associate Justices Ierodiaconou and Daly from the Supreme Court, and Justices Davies and Mortimer from the Federal Court, participated. The judges provided extensive feedback to counsel and noted that the standard of advocacy was high.
The Women Barristers’ Association called for expressions of interest and assisted in the selection of eight women barristers to participate. The initiative is an example of cooperation between the Bench and the Bar that aims at securing equality for women in the legal profession.
Above left: Justice Jenny Davies (Federal Court), Justice Pamela Tate, and Associate Justice Mary-Jane Ierodiaconou listening to the submissions of Ms Fiona Ellis. Above right: Moot participants Ms Raelene Sharp, Ms Louise Martin and Dr Kylie Weston-Scheuber.