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Legal
Officer admitted to WA Bar
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Above:
CMDR Geoff Vickridge, CMDR Peter Higgins, the CO of HMAS
Stirling and LEUT Simon Gourlay newly admitted to the West
Australian Bar to practice as a Barrister and Solicitor.
CMDR Vickridge, recently retired, proposed that LEUT Gourlay
be admitted.
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A West
Australian legal officer was admitted to the Bar as a barrister
and solicitor at a ceremony in Perth on September 3.
LEUT Simon Gourlay was admitted to the Bar at the West Australian
Supreme Court after a motion requesting he become a practitioner
of the court by retired Navy legal officer, CMDR Geoff Vickridge.
CMDR Vickridge said the Navy was encouraging legal officers to be
admitted to the Bar in the state they were working to achieve parity
with civilian lawyers.
“This is bringing us into line with the normal stream of practitioners
in each state. I think it’s just part of that recognition that
we are admitted so that we are on the same wavelength as our counterparts,”
LEUT Gourlay said.
A Reserve PRO for NHQ Tasmania he went on to become a full time
legal officer in 1999 after managing a practice in Tasmania. He
graduated as a lawyer from the University of Tasmania.
“I feel quite honoured that 30 years down the track, back in
WA, I am being admitted to the WA Bar as a barrister and solicitor.
Back then I had no aspirations of ever looking that far ahead and
getting this far,” he said.
LEUT Gourlay said he had to prove to the WA Legal Practice Board
that he had been “a good boy” for his application to be
approved.
CMDR Vickridge, who retired from the PNF and Navy Reserve after
44 years and four month’s service on May 1 this year, said
he was honoured to move the motion for LEUT Gourlay to be admitted
to the Bar.
“It is a big day for a person to be admitted and I’m deeply
flattered that Simon asked me,” CMDR Vickridge said.
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