The Brief:
Sam Hay KC has been appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria
He served as Chair of the Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner, as well as the Junior Vice President of the Australian Bar Association.
Sam Hay KC is heading to the bench, having been appointed a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria, effective Tuesday, 21 April.
He'll sit predominantly in the common law division.
Hay signed the Victoria Bar Roll in 2002, took silk in 2019, and spent more than two decades handling commercial, corporate and common law matters, including appearances in royal commissions and commissions of inquiry.
Beyond practice, he's held senior leadership roles across the profession:
President of the Victorian Bar Council from November 2022 to November 2023
Member of the Victorian Legal Admissions Committee from October 2017 to November 2022
Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner (VLSB+C), a role he took on in May 2023 and stepped up to chair in December 2024.
He's also the current junior vice president of the Australian Bar Association. His successor as VLSB+C chair is yet to be announced, with the attorney-general to nominate a candidate for a four-year term.
VLSB+C CEO Fiona McLeay said the appointment reflected his:
"Outstanding leadership during a period that has seen a significant uplift in funding from the Public Purpose Fund to the wider legal sector, supporting high-quality service delivery, systems improvements and increased access to justice for Victorians."
Source: Supreme Court of Victoria