Gareth Ward has been a local from the get-go. Born in Gerringong, attending pre-school in Kiama and school in Bomaderry, he came into the world fighting – being born legally blind and with albinism (Oculocutaneous Albinism). Despite these challenges, Gareth has worked hard to create a worthwhile life helping others and has achieved considerable success. The uneven playing field on which he grew up renders his many achievements, including being the youngest councillor to be elected to Shoalhaven City Council, even more noteworthy.

While our community is largely well aware of his political achievements, Gareth has also achieved success in academia and further study. Impressively already holding degrees in Arts, Commerce and Law along with a Graduate Diploma of Legal Practice, Gareth also recently passed the toughest legal exam in the country – the NSW Barristers exam, known as the Bar Exam.

While adhering to a strict separation of powers, there is no doubt the subject matters of law and politics complement each other, with Parliament responsible for writing laws, and the courts for interpreting and applying them. The Bugle got up close and personal with Gareth to find out more about his recent Bar Exam and how his legal studies have informed and enriched his work in advocating for the community.

“People often confuse passing the NSW Bar Exam with being admitted as a lawyer, mostly because people have watched too many US legal dramas,” Gareth joked. “The US system is very different to what we do here”.

 “To become a solicitor, you need to complete your law degree and then undertake what’s called Practical Legal Training, which makes you eligible to apply for admission as a solicitor to the Supreme Court of NSW and the High Court of Australia. You also need to receive approval from the Legal Profession Admission Board which involves passing a fit and proper person test.

 “To become a Barrister in NSW you need to pass the NSW Bar Exam, which is run by the NSW Bar Association. Once you pass the exam you undertake the Bar Practice Course and commence what’s called a ‘reading year’. The Practice Course and the reading year are the next two challenges for me to formally gain admission, but the exam is the most serious part of this challenge.

 “In order to apply to undertake the exam, you must first be admitted as a solicitor - so you can’t just rock up and ask to sit the exam.

 “The exam itself has a horrendously high fail rate. We had a study group of about 30 and only four of us passed.

 “There are two papers, one which focuses on criminal law and one which focuses on civil law and procedure, with questions on evidence and ethics woven throughout both papers.”

 Asked how he found time as a busy local MP to study and pass, Gareth explained,

“I actually completed my Master of Laws at Sydney University when I was a Cabinet Minister. I like to read and read widely. I think it’s really important for politicians to have more than one string to their bow, and this is a really helpful skillset for my role as a local advocate.

“So often the matters people come to you with as a local MP have a legal complexation or question. Whilst I refrain from giving legal advice, the training is invaluable in these situations as to how I can best help.

 “The main reason I did it was to be a better MP and more effectively help and serve our community. It’s an unusual skill set, but it is helpful”.

 We asked what the difference between a Barrister and Solicitor is and Gareth repeated what he told his younger brother, “When you are sick, you go to your GP, which are like the medical equivalent of solicitors. If your medical condition is serious and requires an area of specialisation, you go to a specialist. Barristers are your legal specialists - and of course barristers are trained to appear and speak in a courtroom”.

 We put the obvious question to Gareth – Is he planning a return to the law and to move on from politics? His response was immediate..

“I love our community and serving our region, and ensuring we have the strongest advocacy is important. I’m not planning on going anywhere anytime soon.”