The Hon David Habersberger KC

Member, LSC Admissions Committee

(25 February 2020 - 30 June 2025)

David Habersberger graduated from the University of Melbourne with an honours degree in Arts (Political Science) in 1968 and a first class honours degree Law in 1970. During 1972, he was the Associate to Sir Garfield Barwick, Chief Justice of Australia.

Mr. Habersberger was admitted to practice in Victoria in March 1972 and signed the Roll of Counsel in February 1973. He was appointed One of His Majesty’s Counsel for the State of Victoria in November 1987. As counsel, Mr. Habersberger appeared in a number of significant constitutional, administrative and commercial cases. In the early 1990s he conducted an inquiry into the collapse of Pyramid Building Society and the other societies and companies in the Farrow Group. His report was tabled in Parliament by the Attorney-General.

Mr. Habersberger was a member of the Victorian Bar Council for 15 years. He held numerous positions with the Bar Council and its associated bodies, including that of Chairman of the Bar Council in 1994-1995. He was also the Treasurer of the Australian Bar Association in 1990-1992 and a member of its Executive in 1994-1995. At the time of his appointment to the Bench, he was the elected advocate member of the Legal Practice Board in Victoria.

In July 2001, David Habersberger was appointed as a Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria. He sat in all divisions of the Court, including as an acting Appeal Judge. At various times he was the Judge in charge of the Commercial List, the Building Cases List and the Probate List. At the time of his retirement in March 2013, he was the Principal Judge of the Commercial and Equity Division of the Court.

In the second semester of 2013, Mr. Habersberger was the Judge in Residence at the Law School at the University of Melbourne.

Mr. Habersberger is Chair of the Victorian Legal Admissions Board and has been on the Board since its inception in July 2015. He is also a member of the Law Admissions Consultative Committee.

In 2016, Mr. Habersberger was appointed a Deputy President of the Anglican Church’s Professional Standards Review Board for the Dioceses of Melbourne and Ballarat.