Major General Aziz (Gregory) Melick AO SC, has relaunched his campaign for more glorified silken adornment. 

He’s shown a determined desperation to swap his SC for KC and has marshalled troops at the Apple Isle Bar ‘n’ Grill to attach their bayonets … and charge.

He was mentioned in dispatches last month calling for a survey of members of the local guild. The minutes of the bar’s AGM recorded under general business: 

“Following a brief discussion concerning SC/KC elections, it was proposed that council survey its membership.” 

Nothing much was done, and now Aziz is back in action with a new email spray to members dated May 24, repeating what he said last time. 

He appears to have the wind in his sails following the re-election of the Van Diemen Liberals, and the appointment of Guy Barnett an arch conservative as attorney general and minister for mental health.

Guy who opposes marriage equality, but was a cheer leader for the Iraq war, is in the orbit of the monarch’s favourite Germanic, Otto Abetz – now Tasmania’s minister for transport, business, industry, resources and leader of the house. 

Like Otto, Guy was previously a senator from Tasmania until voters thought enough is enough. 

Aziz’s new campaign is bolstered by the thoughts of barrister Garth O’Rafferty, the island’s leading trumpeter. 

See: email from Greg Melick, May 24, 2024  

By Monday (May 27), General Aziz had met some resistance and issued a follow-up email claiming that NSW only introduced SCs to stop attorneys general appointing themselves as QCs (presumably a reference to Little Peter Collins). 

In fact, the real reason was because Premier John Fahey (Lib.) thought the royal gong was pretentious and misleading, particularly as QCs weren’t actually counselling the monarch. 

Melick went on to explain that he lost a juicy case because the client discovered he was an SC and not a QC – even though he came “highly recommended”. 

“The vast majority of SCs appointed in states that have introduced letters patent have applied for them, suggesting that the majority of barristers practising in such states consider it an advantage, or are like me, a traditionalist. 

I suggest, we conduct a survey, offering the choice of Yes, No or Don’t Care and await the outcome.” 

See: Aziz’s latest email, May 27, 2024

General Melick; one more gong, please

In September 2019 General Melick had launched an earlier QC campaign for Apple Isle briefs. A survey was distributed, yet the royal balloon didn’t get off the ground. 

See Justinian’s report: Order of the Silken Quoll  

See: survey questions on QC option – Tasmanian bar survey September 2019 

See: survey results on QC for Tas bar question October 2019

Philip Jackson SC opposed the plumage survey in 2019, telling his colleagues: 

“In such a small bar, and small profession overall, can we not do better than a survey conducted by a monkey?” 

How the general has time to scratch himself is a wonder. Over the years he has jugged numerous hats, including: member of the National Crime Authority; the NSW Casino Control Authority; special investigator for the Australian Cricket Board; Deputy President of the AAT; Chief Commissioner of Tasmania’s Integrity Commission; board member of the Australian War Memorial; and National President of the RSL (which at the time did not meet with everyone’s approval). 

See also: Loitering on the bench 

Letters patent for barristers were abolished in Tasmania by the Bacon regime in 2001. Now here we are again, just as the South Australian parliament is legislating to abolish the appointment of KCs, having introduced royal plumage for Torrenside briefs in June 2020, under the Liberals. 

Slippery Pete 

Earlier this month, The Hon. Peter Slipper, BA LLB, a former federal parliamentary adornment and now plying the trade at Hobart’s bar, was lobbying to arrange for barristers to dress up at the magistrates courts. 

With an email subject line, “Robing of Magistrates in Tasmania; desirability of Barristers but not Solicitors also robing in Magistrates Court as in Queensland”, Slippery wrote: 

“This has the very practical effect of distinguishing barristers from solicitors visually enabling matters involving barristers to be dealt with expeditiously when the court sits. 

Particularly on formal matters barristers are able to be in and out of court quickly (as matters in which they are acting are usually dealt with first).” 

See: Slippery’s email to the bar prez 

Tree climbing 

Islander: Peter Tree

Tasmania’s Chief Justice Alan Blow is approaching statutory senility. It’s due to occur on December 3, when he turns 75. 

Consequently, speculation is rife about his replacement. One piece of scuttlebutt doing the rounds is that Justice Peter Tree, an appeals judge at the Family Court, sitting in Townsville, has thrown his wig in the ring.

Tree originally came from the island and is well regarded by the local tribes. 

Whether he would pass muster with the god bothers and fundamentalists in the government of Gilead is another matter – particularly the theocratic trio of Abetz, Barnett & Deputy Premier Michael Ferguson. 

Praise be.