The Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner warmly congratulates Board Chair, Sam Hay KC, on his well-deserved appointment as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria, effective as of today. 

Justice Hay first joined the Board in May 2023 and was appointed Chair in December 2024. 

He will bring to the court more than 20 years’ experience as a barrister across a broad range of commercial, administrative and common law matters, and he regularly appeared in Royal Commissions and Commissions of Inquiry. In 2019, Justice Hay was appointed Senior Counsel, and he previously served as President of the Victorian Bar Council, and as a member of the Victorian Legal Admissions Committee. He is currently Junior Vice President of the Australian Bar Association. 

Victorian Legal Services Commissioner and Board CEO, Fiona McLeay, said this recognition reflects not only Justice Hay’s outstanding leadership within Victoria’s legal community, but also his unwavering commitment to upholding the highest ethical standards and public trust in the profession. 

“Sam’s exceptional career in the law has been a tremendous asset to our Board in regulating Victoria’s legal profession, and his appointment represents a significant contribution to the bench,” Ms McLeay said. 

“Sam has led the Victorian Legal Services Board 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. While Sam’s departure is a great loss for us, we are grateful for his leadership and wish him every success in his new role.” 

The Chair of the Victorian Legal Services Board is nominated by the Attorney-General and appointed by the Governor in Council for a four-year term, with Justice’s Hay’s successor to be announced in due course.