NSW barrister Lindsay Ellison’s ‘Mx’ faux pas results in dismissal | The Australian

A NSW silk who said his preferred pronouns are “HeHaw HeHaw Ha Ha Ha” and questioned the use of gender-neutral titles in court and has been sacked as the chair of one of the state Bar’s central committees.

Lindsay Ellison SC, who has practised as a barrister for nearly 40 years, was stood down by NSW Bar Association president Ruth Higgins SC this month, after she received complaints about his conduct while chairing a meeting of the Succession and Protective Law Committee in late April.
The Australian understands that during the meeting, Mr Ellison questioned the use of the term “Mx” – a title used by non-binary people – which was used in a ­practice note written by NSW ­Supreme Court Chief Justice ­Andrew Bell about the proper way to ­address a party in court.
Mr Ellison was called to the Bar in 1985, and has been named a “market leader” in wills and estates practice for the past four years by the Doyles Guide. He was previously vice-president of the NSW Bar Association, and in 2021 became the inaugural chair of the Succession and Protective Law Committee.
Chief Justice Bell’s practice note, which instructs lawyers to “advise the court, where appropriate, of … forms of address such as Ms, Mr, Mrs, Mx, Dr, Prof”, was brought up in a committee meeting chaired by Mr Ellison last month. After he questioned the use of the term “Mx” in the meeting, he received a phone call from NSW Bar Association president Ruth Higgins, who counselled him over “the tone and content” of his comments regarding the practice note after the meeting.

Source: NSW barrister Lindsay Ellison’s ‘Mx’ faux pas results in dismissal | The Australian

3 thoughts on “NSW barrister Lindsay Ellison’s ‘Mx’ faux pas results in dismissal | The Australian”

  1. Well isn’t this interesting. Way back when, a complaint was made against me to the NSW Bar Association as I had the temerity to state ‘Dr’ on my newly printed cards. The barrister with whom I was reading classed the complaint as nonsense (a good guy all around) but there was no practice note in support of my form of address.

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