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L 36, 500 Bourke Street
Melbourne, VIC 3000

T. +61 3 9225 7525
ahketchambers.reception@vicbar.com.au

Ah Ket Chambers – Barristers' Chambers, Melbourne

Ah Ket Chambers is a leading barristers chambers with members who practice throughout Australia.

ABOUT

– ABOUT

Ah Ket Chambers Who we are

Ah Ket Chambers is a leading barristers chambers with members who practice throughout Australia.

Ah Ket Chambers commenced operation on 1 July 2024 and was opened on 28 August 2024, at 500 Bourke Street, Melbourne, by her Honour Chief Justice Mortimer of the Federal Court of Australia and following a Welcome to Country delivered by Aunty Di Kerr, an Elder of the Wurundjeri People.

The Victorian Bar is known for its high ethical standards and commitment to the rule of law and access to justice.

Our members pride themselves in undertaking pro bono work and strategic public interest litigation on behalf of clients who could not otherwise access expert and experienced advocates.

 

ABOUT

– ABOUT

Ah Ket Chambers Members

Our members include leaders in their respective areas of speciality.

This includes 19 senior counsel as well as experienced junior counsel with extensive trial and appellate experience.

Members practise across a wide range of areas in all Australian courts and tribunals. They also regularly act in mediations and arbitrations, and appear before Royal Commissions and other public inquiries.

Several of our members are former judicial officers or are serving members of the judiciary. They include:

The Hon. Ray Finkelstein AO KC
(Former Justice of the Federal Court of Australia)

The Hon. Justice Craig Dowling
(Federal Court of Australia)

The Hon. Justice Lisa Hannon
(Supreme Court of Victoria)

Her Honour Judge Simone Bingham
(Federal Circuit & Family Court of Australia – Division 2)

His Honour Judge Patrick Over
(County Court of Victoria)

His Honour Judge Malcom Harding
(County Court of Victoria)

About

– About

Our namesake William's story

Our chambers is named after William Ah Ket, an important figure in the history of the Victorian Bar and, more broadly, the legal profession in Australia.

William Ah Ket signed the Bar roll in June 1904 and was the first barrister of Chinese origin to practise at the Victorian Bar. His contemporary and colleague Sir Robert Menzies (Australia’s longest-serving Prime Minister), described him as a “phenomenon at the Victorian Bar“.

He gained recognition for fighting discriminatory laws (such as the White Australia Policy) and appearing in a number of leading High Court cases.

Former Chief Justice of Australia the Hon. Susan Kiefel AC has said of Ah Ket: “His answer to the difficulties he faced appears to have been to succeed in what he did; to be a real part of the legal profession and to act at all times righteously, with courage.”

Inspired by his example, we share a common goal of providing an independent, egalitarian, professional and approachable chambers environment coupled with a commitment to excellence.

BARRISTER DIRECTORY

– BARRISTER DIRECTORY

Members of Ah Ket Chambers
Joe Acutt
Yusur Al-Azzawi
Matthew Albert
Lachlan Armstrong KC
Yasser Bakri
Selena Bateman
Fiona Batten
Jamie Blaker
Natalie Blok
Herman Borenstein KC
Susan Brennan SC
Ben Bromberg
Liam Brown SC
Darren Bruno
Greg Buchhorn
Jude Bunting KC
Kate Burke SC
Gemma Cafarella
Tim Chalke
Dan Coombes
Sam Crock
Rebecca Davern
Caroline Dawes
Joanna Dodd
Cathy Dowsett SC
Rachel Doyle SC
Willem Drent
Kylie Evans KC
Karen Le Faucheur
Joel Fetter
Ray Finkelstein AO KC
Marita Foley SC
Fiona Forsyth KC
Warren Friend KC
Leisa Glass
Stella Gold SC
Alex Guild
Min Guo
Kris Hanscombe KC
Emma Harold
Richard Harris SC
Jim Hartley
Haroon Hassan
Eliza Holt
Philippa Kelly
David Kelsey-Sugg
Phoebe Knowles
Paris Lettau
Louise Martin
Shanta Martin
Jim McKenna
Tessa Meyrick
Bobbi Murphy
Declan Murphy
Owen Nanlohy
Rohan Nanthakumar
Joh Ollquist
Monika Pekevska
Emily Porter SC
Georgina Rhodes
Cassie Serpell
Rose Singleton
Alannah Slater
Carly Sluiter
Edwina Smith
James Stoller
Helen Symon KC
Mel Szydzik SC
James Tierney
Jennifer Trewhella
Huw Watkins
Andrew White
Eugene White
Chadwick Wong
Jordan Wright
Julie Zhou

CHAMBERS

– CHAMBERS

Atmosphere

Our chambers emphasises collegiality and connectivity.

Both floors feature modern well-quipped meeting rooms which are suitable for conferences, mediations as well as virtual hearings.

Common spaces encourage and facilitate collaboration and a sense of community.

Each barristers’ room is a private suite with full-height partitions and advanced acoustic treatments to ensure privacy and confidentiality.

 

 

 

 

 

CHAMBERS

– CHAMBERS

Applying to join
For more information about applying to join chambers or reading in chambers please contact: ahketchambers.reception@vicbar.com.au