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Wednesday, 7 October 2026
Call for Nominations: Council Election 2026
Members of the ACT Law Society are invited and encouraged to nominate for election to the ACT Law Society Council in 2026.
Nominations are open from 7 October 2026 to 5.00pm on 22 October 2026.
Voting will open in early November, with results announced at the Annual General Meeting.
Changes for the 2026 Council Election
This election is the first to be conducted following the Society's governance reforms and introduction of staggered three-year terms for Councillors.
As part of the transition to the new governance structure, three Council positions will be filled at the 2026 election.
To support continuity and an orderly transition, the continuing Council will comprise:
- Adam Peppinck, Vik Sundar (President) and Katherine Waterford, whose position continues until the 2027 AGM.
- Andrew Allan (Vice President), Ming Li and Timothy Morton, whose position continues until the 2028 AGM.
- Three Councillors elected in 2026, who will serve until the 2029 AGM.
Collectively, the current continuing Councillors bring experience:
- across a wide range of areas of practice, including real estate, insurance litigation, civil litigation, estates, commercial, tax, and government regulatory and litigation
- in private, government and in-house practice
- ranging from 14 years to 23 years in practice
- including relevant experience in governance, regulatory environments, strategic planning, and financial and risk management.
In accordance with the Constitution, Council has appointed a Nominations Committee for the 2026 election cycle, comprising Kate Waterford (Chair), Tim Morton and Adam Peppinck, each of whom is not up for election in 2026.
The Nominations Committee has reviewed the skills and experience represented on the continuing Council, having regard to a Council Skills and Experience Matrix, the Society’s objects (at clause 6 of the Constitution), the Councillor eligibility criteria (at clause 29 of the Constitution), and the current composition of the Society’s membership. In accordance with Clause 30.4 of the Constitution, the committee has recommended desired skills and experience for the three positions to complement the continuing Councillors and support the Society in furtherance of its objects (set out below).
Council's Role
The Council is the governing body of the ACT Law Society and is responsible for the governance and oversight of the Society in accordance with its objectives
This includes:
- Setting the Society's strategic direction.
- Ensuring responsible financial and operational management.
- Overseeing risk and governance.
- Upholding high standards of regulatory oversight.
- Exercising the Society's responsibilities as a regulatory authority under the Legal Profession Act 2006.
The Society's Constitution and supporting governance framework establish the standards expected of Councillors and reinforce the importance of strong governance, accountability and ethical leadership.
Councillors are expected to be of the highest ethical and professional standing, free from conflicts of interest, and committed to serving the Society with integrity. The nomination process includes information about each candidate's professional background, governance experience and relevant skills to assist members in making informed voting decisions.
The Role of a Councillor
Councillors are members of the Society's governing board and are expected to contribute to the effective governance of the organisation in the best interests of the Society, its members, the profession and the broader community and in accordance with the Society’s constitutional objects.
Council is responsible for governance and oversight rather than operational management. Councillors are expected to approach their role from a governance perspective and contribute to collective decision-making on matters including strategy, finance, risk, organisational performance and regulatory oversight.
Members considering nomination should be willing to exercise independent judgement, contribute constructively to board discussions, and understand the responsibilities associated with serving on a governing board.
Councillors are expected to:
- Act in good faith and with care and diligence.
- Maintain high standards of integrity and professionalism.
- Manage conflicts of interest appropriately.
- Contribute to strategic decision-making and governance oversight.
- Maintain the confidentiality of Council deliberations.
- Understand and support the Society's dual role as both the peak body and regulator of the ACT legal profession.
Councillors should also be aware that, as members of the Society's governing board, they are subject to legal and governance obligations, including directors' duties at common law.
Desired skills and experience for the 2026 Council election
The Nominations Committee appointed by the Council considers that it is desirable that the Council collectively reflects, to the extent reasonably possible, the diversity of background, experience and skill represented across the Society’s membership.
Having regard to the collective experience of the continuing Councillors, the eligibility criteria and the furtherance of the Society’s objects, the committee considers the Council would particularly benefit from candidates offering one or more of the following attributes, skills and experience:
- Women
- Lawyers earlier in their career, but with sufficient organisational experience to effectively contribute to board-level decisions and oversight
- Community legal practice
- Family law practice
- Criminal law practice
- Member relations/governance in membership body organisations
- AI and/or IT expertise
These are desired capabilities intended to assist prospective candidates and members. They are not additional eligibility requirements and candidates are not expected individually to demonstrate all or any of the identified capabilities.
Eligible members with other skills, experience and perspectives relevant to the work and objects of the Society are also encouraged to nominate.
Additionally, all Councillors are expected to have sufficient financial literacy and governance experience to collectively fulfil their duties as directors of the corporation, as set out in Clause 43 of the Constitution. An understanding of the regulatory context within which the Society operates is also important.
Nominate for Council
If you are an eligible full member of the ACT Law Society and would like to contribute to the governance and future direction of the Society, we encourage you to nominate.
To complete your nomination, you will need:
- Your member number.
- The names of two full members to support your nomination.
- Year of admission.
- Firm or organisation and areas of practice.
- Positions held within the Law Society, including committee memberships.
- Governance experience, including board or committee appointments and relevant governance qualifications.
- Experience in regulatory compliance, administrative decision-making, ethics or integrity matters.
- A recent headshot photograph (colour preferred).
