Questionable Role of Legal Directories as a Mark of Barrister Quality

On 30 January 2024 Ian Pike SC was sworn in as a judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales.  Justice Pike took silk in 2011 and engaged in practice in corporate law, general commercial law in the civil and criminal space (the latter in white collar crime).

Speaking at Justice Pike’s swearing-in, the New South Wales Attorney General, Michael Daley, said that his Honour had expressed that he did not want to be a “cranky judge”, but rather preferred to create a space where barristers can discharge their duties efficiently and effectively. In this regard, Mr Daley observed:  “You want [the court] to be serious but collegiate, to give a platform for people to do their best work and to do justice”.

In his remarks in response, his Honour adverted to the rise of legal directories. Pointedly, Justice Pike said of such directories:

I had always thought that the mark of a good barrister was how they performed in court but I note the rise of legal directories and an increasing effort into cultivating rankings [of counsel]. …  I look forward to comparing my own view of quality with those set out in the directories.