Our Chambers
Sir Anthony Mason Chambers was officially opened on 25 July 2014 by the Honourable Sir Anthony Mason AC KBE GBM (21 April 1925 – 17 March 2026). Chambers was named in his honour, in recognition of a legal career defined by rigorous, principled judgment.
Over the years, chambers has grown into a floor of genuine breadth, rather than narrowing around a single specialty. Our barristers practise across commercial litigation, regulatory and criminal law, personal injury, torts, equity, insurance, and beyond. That breadth has become a defining feature of chambers.
Today, our barristers bring different paths to the bar and different areas of expertise, but share a common standard of preparation, judgment, and advocacy. Instructing solicitors come to chambers not for a single specialty but for the right barrister for the matter at hand, confident they will find someone equipped to handle it well. It is this diversity of experience, more than any one practice area, that defines who we are.
About Sir Anthony Mason
Sir Anthony Mason AC KBE GBM KC (1925–2026) was one of the most influential judges in Australian legal history. Born in Sydney in 1925, he came of age during the Great Depression and the Second World War, serving with the Royal Australian Air Force before returning to study arts and law at the University of Sydney, where he graduated with First Class Honours.
Called to the New South Wales Bar in 1951, Mason quickly established a formidable practice. In 1964, at just 39 years of age, he was appointed Commonwealth Solicitor-General; the first to hold the office as an independent statutory appointment under the Law Officers Act 1964 (Cth). He served as a Judge of the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of New South Wales from 1969 until his elevation to the High Court of Australia in 1972, at the age of 47. He also served as Pro-Chancellor of the Australian National University from 1972–1975.
During his 23 years on the High Court—serving as Chief Justice from 1987 to 1995—Mason presided over a period of profound development in Australian law. Although initially regarded as a jurist of orthodox, “black-letter” persuasion, his judicial philosophy evolved to embrace principled legal development while remaining firmly anchored in the Constitution and the common law.
During Sir Anthony’s service on the High Court, the enactment of the Australia Act 1986 (Cth) and (UK) brought to an end the remaining appeals to the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council, firmly establishing the High Court as Australia’s final court of appeal.
While a member of the High Court, several significant decisions of modern Australian jurisprudence were delivered, including Commonwealth v Tasmania (1983) 158 CLR 1 (the Tasmanian Dam Case), Cole v Whitfield (1988) 165 CLR 360, Australian Capital Television Pty Ltd v Commonwealth (1992) 177 CLR 106, and Mabo v Queensland (No 2) (1992) 175 CLR 1.
Among those decisions, Cole v Whitfield stands as one of the Court’s most significant achievements. Delivered unanimously, it replaced decades of inconsistent authority concerning s 92 of the Constitution with a coherent and principled approach that continues to govern the freedom of interstate trade and commerce. Sir Anthony himself later regarded the decision as one of the Court’s finest achievements, reflecting its careful historical analysis and commitment to legal coherence.
Under Mason’s leadership, the High Court recognised native title in Mabo v Queensland (No 2) and established the implied freedom of political communication in Australian Capital Television Pty Ltd v Commonwealth and Nationwide News Pty Ltd v Wills (1992) 177 CLR 1 (in which Sir Anthony wrote the leading judgment)—developments that fundamentally reshaped Australian public law. He also made significant contributions to the development of constitutional doctrine concerning the scope of Commonwealth executive power, including what has become known as the “nationhood” power.
Before his appointment as Chief Justice, Mason was also involved in confidential constitutional discussions with Governor-General Sir John Kerr during the constitutional crisis of 1975. Although those discussions attracted considerable historical interest in later years, they formed only a small part of a judicial career that is overwhelmingly remembered for the lasting influence of his jurisprudence and his stewardship of the High Court.
Following his retirement from the High Court in 1995, Mason continued a distinguished public career. He served as Chancellor of the University of New South Wales, and for almost two decades as a Non-Permanent Judge of the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal, where his judgments continue to be cited with respect.
Sir Anthony is remembered not only for his formidable intellect but also for his generosity to younger members of the profession, his independence of mind, and his understated wit. Chief Justice Andrew Bell, who served as Sir Anthony’s associate early in his career, described his year in chambers as “one of the most important and formative” experiences of his professional life.
Our Head of Chambers, Alan Sullivan KC, who served as Sir Anthony’s associate during the events surrounding the dismissal of the Whitlam Government, said: “[Sir Anthony] was without doubt a great jurist, perhaps the greatest this country has produced, but above all he was a great, warm, engaging, considerate, generous and truly interesting person whose company was always a delight”.
Sir Anthony Mason Chambers proudly bears his name in recognition of a legacy that continues to shape Australian law. His commitment to intellectual rigour, principled decision-making, and generous mentorship remains an enduring standard to which members of Chambers continue to aspire.