THE FAIR WORK OMBUDSMAN NOW ALLOCATES MORE THAN HALF OF ITS LEGAL WORK TO FEMALE BARRISTERS.

According to its media release issued 19 November 2015, the Fair Work Ombudsman now allocates more than half of its legal work to female barristers. Last financial year, the Agency briefed 56 female barristers and 34 men for its legal work. This compares to its use of 50 female barristers and 18 men in 2013-2014. “We have been pushing hard to achieve gender equality in the number of briefs allocated as well as the value of the cases,” says Fair Work Ombudsman Chief Counsel Janine Webster. The Fair Work Ombudsman spent $876,200 in 2014-15 briefing barristers for its legal work. Commonwealth agencies are bound by Legal Services Directions which encourage gender equity in the allocation of work. A recent analysis by the NSW Bar Association acknowledges that the Fair Work Ombudsman has led the way in its approach to equitable briefing.

The media release is available here: http://inbrief.nswbar.asn.au/posts/e371c68ea0afb7756df68340803c0aff/attachment/MR_gender{6c0a4e1ac7e55840cfe639ecf4b11dafaf03aa04ee92fd19e6f871f32a3a63fe}20equality.pdf