NSW Bar Exam case studies
NSW Bar Exam · Put your knowledge to work in context.
The NSW Bar Exam is the written examination that sits at the centre of the process of becoming a barrister in New South Wales. It is intended for readers who have completed the academic and practical training stages required by the legal profession's rules and who now need to demonstrate that they can analyse problems, identify the governing principle, apply it to facts, and reach a defensible conclusion under time pressure. The NSW Bar Exam case studies are 5 cases and about 2,675 words.
1The Late Amendment and the Limitation Clock
In a NSW Supreme Court negligence claim arising from a 2019 road collision, the plaintiff filed a statement of claim in March 2021 pleading only negligent driving. In June 2024 she seeks leave to amend to add a claim that the defendant's insurer breached a duty of care in handling her claim.
568 words, about 3 min2Hearsay, Tendency and the Unreliable Witness
At a District Court trial for assault occasioning actual bodily harm, the complainant gives evidence that the accused punched him outside a hotel. The Crown seeks to adduce: (a) the complainant's statement to a police officer 20 minutes after the event that 'the tall guy in the red shirt hit me'; (b) evidence from a second witness that the accused had, six months earlier, punched a different person at the same hotel; and (c) the complainant's prior inconsistent statement to police that he did not see who hit him.
593 words, about 3 min3The Trustee's Conflict and the Variation of Trust
A family trust established in 2005 holds a commercial property in Parramatta. The trustee is a company whose sole director, Margaret, is also a beneficiary.
500 words, about 3 min4Directors' Duties and the Insolvent Trading Question
In March 2024, a construction company with 12 employees and a 2.1 million turnover missed a payroll. Its two directors, Ahmed and Priya, received a management report showing a cash shortfall of 400,000 and an unresolved dispute with a major client over 900,000 in unpaid invoices.
538 words, about 3 min5The Planning Approval and the Jurisdictional Error
A local council approved a 10-storey development in a residential zone in 2024. The applicant, a residents' association, argues the council misconstrued a planning instrument that limits buildings to six storeys unless the site is within 400 metres of a transport hub.
476 words, about 2 min