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

On 3 February 1992, the High Court of Australia, comprising Dawson J, Toohey J, and Gaudron J, convened in Canberra for a ceremonial announcement of appointments to Queen's Counsel. The proceedings involved the Solicitor-General for the Commonwealth, Mr G.F. Griffith, and the Solicitors-General for New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, and Western Australia, as well as numerous barristers announcing their appointments as Queen's Counsel for their respective states or for the Commonwealth.

The primary purpose of the court's sitting was to formally acknowledge and record the appointments of several legal practitioners to the rank of Queen's Counsel. These announcements were made by the newly appointed Queen's Counsel themselves, who informed the Court of their elevation and, in many instances, specified their precedence relative to other counsel. The court's role was to receive these announcements, thereby formally recognising these appointments within the judicial context.

The court, presided over by Mason CJ, acknowledged the significance of the occasion as marking the commencement of the legal year and fostering a connection between the Court and the Bar. The proceedings were conducted in a formal, ceremonial manner, with each announcement being a declaration of appointment and precedence. The legal principle at play was the formal recognition and recording of appointments to Queen's Counsel, a tradition that signifies a barrister's elevation to a senior rank within the legal profession.

The outcome of the proceedings was the formal announcement and recording of the appointments of numerous Queen's Counsel for various Australian jurisdictions.