Ceremonial - Announcement of Appointment by Queen's Counsel - Canberra

The High Court of Australia convened in Canberra on 4 February 1991 for a ceremonial announcement of appointments to Queen's Counsel. The proceedings involved numerous members of the Bar from various Australian states and territories, including New South Wales, South Australia, Victoria, Queensland, and the Australian Capital Territory, who formally informed the Court of their appointments. The Chief Justice, Mason CJ, presided over the ceremony.

The primary legal issue before the Court was not a dispute between parties, but rather the formal recognition and announcement of appointments to the rank of Queen's Counsel. The ceremony served as a platform for these newly appointed silks to declare their elevation to the Bar, specifying their precedence within their respective jurisdictions.

Mason CJ explained that this ceremony, held annually since 1983, had become an established tradition. It originated from discussions between the then Chief Justice, Sir Harry Gibbs, and the Australian Bar Association, aimed at replacing an earlier, less satisfactory practice of individual, ad hoc announcements. The Chief Justice highlighted the ceremony's significance in reinforcing the interdependence of the Bench and the Bar, which is crucial for the administration of justice, and in marking the commencement of the Court's legal year by bringing the Court and the Bar together on a notable professional occasion.