Prerequisites and Professional Obligations

Prerequisites and professional obligations

To be eligible to practise as a barrister in Western Australia you must be admitted to the Supreme Court of Western Australia and have satisfied the supervised legal practice condition.

Further information about supervised legal practice is available on the LPB website.

Practising Certificates

The LPB has statutory responsibility for the regulation of all legal practitioners in Western Australia.  It also regulates the issue of annual practising certificates to all legal practitioners, including barristers.

Further information about practising certificates is available on the LPB website.

Interstate Practitioners

Under s35 of the Legal Profession Act 2008, an Australian Legal Practitioner is entitled to engage in legal practice in Western Australia to the same extent that they are entitled to practise in their home jurisdiction.

Interstate barristers are not required to register with or notify The WA Bar, the Court, or any other organisation in order to appear in Western Australia.  As a matter of courtesy, interstate barristers may wish to contact the Associate to the Judge to foreshadow their appearance, but there is no formal requirement to do so.

An Interstate Legal Practitioner who establishes an office in Western Australia is required to comply with the relevant interstate practitioner notice requirements by submitting a Form 6 – Notice of Establishment of Office by Interstate Legal Practitioner to the LPB.

Overseas Applicants

Applicants who have been admitted to practise overseas or who are eligible to be admitted to practise overseas (ie both academic requirements and practical legal training requirements for admission overseas have been completed) are required to apply to the LPB for assessment of their eligibility for admission to practice in Western Australia.

Professional Indemnity Insurance

Under Regulation 96 (a) and (b) Legal Profession Regulations 2009 (Regulations) all legal practitioners are required to hold professional indemnity insurance.

Regulation 97(1)(a) of the Regulations provides the following exemption from Regulation 96(a) or (b), relevant to members of The WA Bar:

“a barrister who is covered by a policy of professional indemnity insurance that –

    (i) is in a form approved by resolution of the Council of The Western Australian Bar Association; and
    (ii) provides cover up to a limit which, in the aggregate, is not less than that provided under a certificate of insurance under the PII arrangement for the period in respect of which exemption is claimed;”

PII arrangement” means an arrangement made by the Law Society under regulation 84(1)(a).

Barrister” is defined in the Legal Profession Act 2008 as an Australian Legal Practitioner who engages in legal practice solely as a barrister.

Each year Bar Council is required, pursuant to Regulation 97(1)(a) of the Regulations, to consider professional indemnity insurance policies for the purpose approving the form of the policies. Members are informed as to the outcome of Bar Council’s resolution by way of a memorandum from the President, which also includes information relevant to members’ responsibilities and obligations, and the renewal and notification process.   Click here for further information about approved policies for 2022-2023.

Pupillage/Bar Entry Examination

At present, there are no formal pupillage and/or bar entry examination requirements in Western Australia.  From time to time, Bar Council may, when considering an application for membership from a junior practitioner, recommend that the practitioner undertakes a period of pupillage, or practitioners may decide to do so of their own volition.

Some chambers do offer pupillage and, or, a more formal mentoring program.  Details are available directly from such chambers.

Find A Barrister

The Western Australian Bar only contains the contact details of those barristers who are members of The WA Bar with current WA or Interstate practising certificates and who have agreed to their details being made available.

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