Frederick Jordan Chambers

53 Martin Place
Sydney 2000
DX 450 Sydney
Ph 9229 7239
0409 547911
Fax: 92216944
mmfraser@fjc.net.au
17 October 2014

Anne Healey
Finance Investment and Audit Committee
NSW Bar Association
DX 1204 Sydney

Dear Anne,
Readers Fees
1. At last years AGM I raised a concern about the apparently high level of fees
payable by readers doing the readers courses.
2. It was explained to me last year that the revenue from the readers programme
was unusually high because it took into account 3 rather than the usual 2 Bar
courses. This financial year the revenue has increased from $484,600 to
$523,100, that is, about, $5500 per each of the 96 readers. This seems
inordinately high, in view of the fact that most people helping in the readers
programme donate their time. The Bar Association has a monopoly in so far as
readers are required to do the programme to obtain a practising certificate.
How is the fee determined? Are we sure we are not just exploiting a
convenient monopoly?
3. It was also explained to me that fee relief is available on application to the
President. Is that possibility notified to potential readers, and how many
readers received fee relief last year?

Investments
4. The Bar Association seems to have substantially increased the size of its
investments over the past couple of years, and appears to have $4 or $5M tied
up in term deposits, fixed interest securities, shares and managed funds.
5. Does the Finance Investment and Audit Committee oversight the investments
made, and is it able to provide a breakdown of the shares, debentures and
bonds which the Bar Association owns, either directly or through managed
funds? As ICAC has shown this year, it can be all too easy to have tainted
investments. As a Member I would also be concerned if the Bar Association
held shares in fossil fuel industries, particularly in view of recent cuts to
renewable energy sources and the Environmental Defenders Office.
I trust you will take these matters up with the Committee, and I look forward to
hearing from you before, or at, the 2014 AGM.
Yours sincerely,

Michele Fraser

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