Bracton Chambers

This edition of Hearsay has been sponsored by Bracton Chambers. Our thanks are extended to the members of Bracton and to Michael Liddy, our Featured Chambers Contributions Coordinator, for giving so generously of their time. What follows is a brief note about the group which was submitted under cover of darkness.

Bracton Chambers currently has the following members:

Peter Applegarth SC, Doug Bates, Bob Gotterson QC, Liam Kelly SC, Shane Monks, David North SC, Dominic Pyle, Walter Sofronoff QC, Michael Stewart SC and Craig Wilkins.

The chambers was formed in 1976 on the first floor of the Ansett Centre (very handy in those days of frequent power stoppages).  The founding members of the group were:

Ian Diehm, Michael Forde, Neil McLauchlan, John Muir, John Robins and Bernie Warnick.

Upon the construction of the MLC Centre Bracton took up its current address on the Supreme Court end of the 15th floor of that building in 1979. As with many of its former members, physically it remains virtually unchanged.

Those previous members of Bracton are:

Ann Forbes, Denis Gatley, Peter Hilton, Justice Keane, Rob O’Regan QC, Henry Weld, Judge Alan Wilson SC and one other; a passionate lover of books.

Oddly only one of these past and current members is referred to as “the English Rose”.

Notable achievements of Bractonians include the development and maintenance over several decades of the institution known as “the vulgar lunch”, the nurturing of Australia’s only ethnic Russian wicket keeper and the inaugural public performance of the celebrated poem, “Rabbits”.

No sectarian divide exists in Chambers, although part of it is known as Boyne Corner. Despite a wide range in weight, age, physical fitness, politics, wine appreciation and computer literacy, tolerance prevails.  The group’s adherence to the management philosophy of “benign neglect” further reduces the risk of tension.  Years can pass without a formal Chambers meeting or even the security of a lease.  The younger, and more fashionable members enjoy being in Bracton Chambers so much, they rarely go home, even on weekends.

Whilst Bracton does not have a motto it has a fine sense of tradition manifested most obviously in a dedication to beautiful and hard working secretaries and period furniture from the mid seventies.