Vale Peter Levy
15 September 2026
The Law Council of Australia mourns the passing of former Secretary-General, Peter Levy, on Friday, 28 August 2026.
Peter Levy — or, as he always signed his letters, 'P. Gordon Levy' — was the Law Council's longest serving Secretary-General, a position now known as Chief Executive Officer. He held the position between 1988 and 2001.
Peter was an Acting Deputy Secretary of the Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department when Trevor Bennett, the Secretary-General at the time and previously a Deputy Secretary of that Department, convinced Peter to apply for the position. Trevor, having held the role of Secretary-General between 1986 and 1988, felt most strongly that Peter could bring to the Law Council the rigour and experience of sound legal policy-making, combined with a light touch of humour and warmth, to progress the work of the Law Council. When Peter was selected for the position, Trevor's farsightedness was proven correct.
The 'Levy years' of the Law Council were marked by some tumultuous times internally, as constituent bodies debated issues including the viability of individual membership and the disparity in voting rights, matters ultimately resolved. Ironically, however, under Peter's leadership, these years also provided great stability within the Secretariat, with staff retention remaining at almost 100% for ten years. The establishment of a permanent home for the Law Council in Torrens Street, Braddon, in 1992, added to the harmonious development of the Law Council. These years were also marked by great productivity, with the undertaking of significant projects in conjunction with the Law Council's constituent bodies, including The Cost of Justice Project and the Blueprint for the Structure of the Legal Profession: A National Market for Legal Services. This 1994 Blueprint and its reform agenda, based on eight key principles including freedom of movement between jurisdictions, has guided the Law Council and influenced its constituent bodies and governments ever since. Other large projects, such as legal aid funding in the 1990s and a study of the legal profession in 2010, were completed during this period.
Peter also developed the Law Council's international program. With other Executive members and the International Legal Services Advisory Council, he played a key role in focussing on the opening of foreign market opportunities for Australian lawyers when it became known that the demand for Australian legal services offshore was consistently increasing. With the Law Council Presidents he served, he assisted in arranging the signing of Memoranda of Understanding with relevant associations, particularly in the Asian and Pacific neighbourhoods. The Law Council's membership of LAWASIA, the Commonwealth Lawyers Association and the International Bar Association became stronger during this time, with Peter being a strong advocate for increased institutional membership activity. With the successful submission in 1993 that the Law Council become a member of the Presidents of Law Associations in Asia, the Law Council has since been able to play a significant role in this non-political forum established for bar leaders from the Asian region.
Peter leaves a huge legacy, both with his Law Council work and his government work. Overriding all his legal achievements, however, is the recognition of the respect that Peter engendered and the friendships he made both nationally and internationally. Peter's warm, joyful and caring personality made him very popular — and an enormous asset to the Law Council as well as its great ambassador.
He will be very much missed.
The Law Council extends its sympathy to Peter's wife, Joan, his four children and partners, and grandchildren.
Last Updated on 17/09/2026