Board and Committees

Page contents

1. Legal Practice Board
2. Admissions and Registrations Committee
3. Legal Services and Complaints Committee
4. Management Committee
5. Professional Affairs Committee
6. Professional Development Committee

Legal Practice Board

The Board consists of the following members, in accordance with section 38 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Act 2022.

1. the Attorney General (WA)
2. the Solicitor General (WA)
3. a current or former judge of the Supreme Court appointed by the Attorney General (WA)
4. each King’s Counsel, and each Senior Counsel whose home jurisdiction is this State; who is not a full-time judicial officer; and who has nominated themselves as a member
5. 12 elected local legal practitioners.

A local legal practitioner is an Australian legal practitioner whose home jurisdiction is this state. The local legal practitioner must have at least three years’ standing and practice.

The Board's Executive team consists of:

1. Executive Director, Libby Fulham
2. Legal Services and Complaints Officer, Russell Daily.

Chair of the Board John Syminton
Deputy Chair of the Board Karen Farley SC

Ex-officio members

Attorney General Hon Dr Tony Buti
Solicitor General Craig Bydder SC

Nominated members

Elected members

Admissions and Registrations Committee (ARC)

The Admissions and Registration Committee is responsible for the functions and powers of the Board that regulate: 

• the admission of lawyers
• the registration and practice of foreign lawyers
• the grant of practising certificates and imposition of conditions, when an applicant has not previously held a local practising certificate, or has not held an Australian practising certificate in the past five years.
• supervised legal practice.

Convenor  Robert Wilson
Deputy Convenor John Syminton

Members

Legal Services and Complaints Committee (LSCC)

The LSCC is a statutory committee of the Board. The Board can delegate functions to do with complaints to the LSCC (Chapter 5 of the Uniform Law) the powers of dispute resolution and professional discipline under Chapter 5 of the Uniform Law - Dispute resolution and professional discipline. 

The LSCC considers and determines what to do where complex and serious disciplinary matters have been investigated.  It can undertake disciplinary action itself for unsatisfactory professional conduct, or by initiating and prosecuting a lawyer for professional misconduct before the State Administrative Tribunal. 

The objectives of Chapter 5 of the Uniform Law are: 

• to provide a framework for the timely and effective resolution of disputes or issues between clients and lawyers or law practices 
• to provide a scheme for the discipline of the Australian legal profession, in the interests of the administration of justice and for the protection of clients or law practices and the public generally
• to monitor, promote and enforce the professional standards, competence and honesty of the Australian legal profession. 

Convenor Joseph Garas SC
Deputy Convenor Geoffrey Bourhill SC

Members

Management Committee

The Management Committee exercises powers delegated to it by the Board for the management of the Board’s human, physical and financial resources.

Convenor  John Syminton
Deputy Convenor vacant

Members

Professional Affairs Committee (PAC)

The Professional Affairs Committee exercises powers and functions delegated to it by the Board for: 

• the grant and renewal of practising certificates, subject to conditions in certain circumstances
• interstate practitioners practising in Western Australia
• suitability to hold a practising certificate, including:
  • monitoring of compliance with conditions imposed, including the variation and revocation of conditions
  • the amendment, suspension or cancellation
• business structures operating legal practices, including incorporated legal practices and the legal practitioner directors who control and manage these legal practices
• administration and management of trust accounts
• external intervention in respect of law practices
• the reservation of legal work and related matters, including the prosecution of persons engaging in unqualified practice and approval of lay associates.

Convenor  Lindsay Fox SC
Deputy Convenor Amy Pascoe

Members

Professional Development Committee (PDC)

The Professional Development Committee exercises powers delegated to it by the Board for continuing professional development and legal education.  

The role of the Professional Development Committee is to determine and review policy about legal education and continuing professional development.  

The Professional Development Committee monitors compliance with continuing professional development obligations and imposes conditions on practising certificates where required. It also monitors the practice management course condition imposed on practising certificates, as well as practice management course providers.

Convenor  John Syminton
Deputy Convenor Rebecca Heath

Members