The Honourable Laura Stein, Chief Justice of South Australia, today announced on behalf of the Judges of the Supreme Court the appointment of two new Senior Counsel. The appointments were made following wide consultation with judicial officers of the State, senior law officers of the State, and members of the legal profession.
Senior Counsel hold important leadership positions in the legal profession. Criteria for selection include legal learning, experience and skill in advocacy, integrity, availability to prospective clients and independence.
The new Senior Counsel are Mr Simon Blewett SC and Mr Benjamin Garnaut SC.
Mr Simon James Blewett SC
Mr Blewett SC holds a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) from the University of Adelaide and a Master of Laws from New York University. He was admitted to practice in December 1990 and joined the independent bar in July 2017. Mr Blewett SC practices almost exclusively in employment, industrial relations, discrimination and workers compensation law with a more limited practice in administrative law and the law as it relates to Aboriginal people. He predominantly practices in the South Australian Employment Tribunal, Federal Family and Federal Circuit Court, Federal Court and Fair Work Commission, and periodically appear in the Court of Appeal on appeals from the SAET.
Mr Benjamin Leigh Garnaut SC
Mr Garnaut SC holds a Bachelor of Laws (First Class Honours) from the University of Adelaide. He was admitted to practice in September 2007 and is currently the Assistant Crown Advocate. Mr Garnaut SC advises and represents the State of South Australia, including its Ministers and agencies, in a wide range of primary and appellate proceedings. His practice predominately encompasses advocacy in significant civil, commercial, industrial and public law litigation, as well as regulatory prosecutions, administrative merits reviews and coronial inquests. Mr Garnaut SC regularly appears in the Court of Appeal, the Supreme Court, the South Australian Employment Tribunal and the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal, and from time-to-time, in the High Court and Federal Court.
Remarking on the appointments, the Chief Justice said:
The appointment of Senior Counsel is a significant event for the successful applicants, for the legal profession, and the South Australian community.
Senior Counsel are leaders of the profession who adhere to the highest standards of legal excellence, integrity, and respectful behaviour. The Chief Justice congratulates the Senior Counsel announced today. They have earned this recognition through the diligent performance of their duties to the Courts and their clients.