‘A private club’: Inside NSW’s opaque silk system

by · Australian Financial Review

Janek DrevikovskyLegal affairs reporter
Sep 3, 2026 – 1.05pm

Gabriel Wendler is one of this generation’s leading criminal defence barristers. He has argued all kinds of cases in the High Court, and has won wide admiration, even from his daily opponents, the NSW prosecution service.

Yet, Wendler’s annual applications for senior counsel – a coveted honour, closely guarded by those who have the power to bestow it – have gone nowhere. He has been applying for well over 10 years, including this year, as lists obtained by The Australian Financial Review reveal.

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Janek DrevikovskyLegal affairs reporterJanek Drevikovsky is the Financial Review’s legal affairs reporter. Email Janek at jdrevikovsky@nine.com.au

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