Congratulations to the members of List A Barristers Pty Ltd who received outstanding recognition in the 2025 Victorian Bar Pro Bono Awards. Their dedication, along with that of many others, is truly commendable as they champion pro bono activities that enhance access to justice for all and support the courts in the administration of justice.
The Daniel Pollak Readers Award for outstanding achievement in pro bono advocacy undertaken by barristers who have completed their Readers’ Course within the previous two years was awarded to Laila Hamzi for advising and appearing on behalf of a range of parties, including before the International Court of Justice in relation to various complex matters.
The Ron Merkel SC Award for outstanding achievement in pro bono advocacy undertaken by barristers who are more than 15 years’ call or who have taken silk was awarded to Emrys Nekvapil SC for his voluminous contribution to pro bono work, promoting access to justice for a range of clients, including running novel points on behalf of some of the most marginalised groups in our community.
The Public Interest/Justice Innovation Award for outstanding achievement in pro bono advocacy, which has a strong public interest element or has involved a procedural or substantive innovation in the law likely to enhance access to justice was awarded to Kylie Evans KC and Jordan Wright for appearing at a Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal hearing for a client with a profoundly autistic son and successfully arguing that human rights considerations may be taken into account in making planning permit decisions.
Special mention also goes to the following List A members who were nominees in various categories: Frances Gordon KC, Tim Farhall, Melinda Jackson, Elodie Nadon, Shawn Rajanayagam and Thomas Wood.
You can see the full list of the awards and winners here.
