The Victorian Legal Admissions Board understands that the Australia-UK Free Trade Agreement (FTA) came into effect on 31 May 2023. The agreement contains commitments to reform legal services provisions and drive collaboration between regulators with the aim of addressing remaining barriers to practise as a local lawyer in the other country's territory.
The FTA did not have the effect of immediately introducing mutual recognition arrangements that will allow UK lawyers to be admitted as lawyers in Australia without having to undertake the usual application for admission that all foreign qualified lawyers are required to undertake under the various statutory regimes applicable in the various States and Territories of Australia.
Accordingly, at the present time there is no change to the process by which UK law qualifications are assessed in Victoria, and no change to the academic qualifications and practical legal training prerequisites for UK lawyers seeking admission to the Australian legal profession.
If there is any change to the process or the prerequisites, it will be notified on VLAB's website.