Peter’s areas of practice include, but are not limited to, constitutional and administrative law, civil appeals, professional liability claims, medical negligence claims, contractual disputes, Australian Consumer Law disputes, workers compensation disputes, motor vehicle negligence disputes (including the relatively new local statutory defined benefits scheme), dust disease disputes, building disputes, compulsory acquisition of property claims, employment law, work health safety law, disciplinary proceedings, discrimination disputes, and health and medical law.

Peter is one of Australia’s leading Commonwealth compensation barristers, having worked on various matters of importance to the application of the Safety, Rehabilitation and Compensation Act 1988 (Cth) including matters in the High Court of Australia.

Recent achievements

• Peter led the Law Council of Australia’s Federal Administrative Law Reform Working Group in responding to the Commonwealth’s Administrative Review Reform: Issues Paper. He led a team of leading administrative lawyers from the Law Council and its constituent bodies to develop a comprehensive submission to the Commonwealth for the purpose of replacing the Administrative Appeals Tribunal with a new body.  Peter also appeared before the Commonwealth’s Expert Advisory Group, chaired by the Hon Patrick Keane AC KC, and advanced the Law Council’s law reform position as set out in its submission.
• Peter led the Law Council’s liaison with the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. He effectively and efficiently managed stakeholder engagement, contributing to the Tribunal’s various COVID-19 special measures practice directions.
• Peter led the Law Council’s response to the Callinan Review of the Tribunals Amalgamation Act 2015 (Cth). That included coordinating industry leaders at a specially convened forum in Sydney on 29 October 2019, the results of which were shared with the Attorney-General’s Department and other significant stakeholders.
• Peter has liaised closely with the Administrative Appeals Tribunal since 2010 in bringing the twice annual Hot Topics in Commonwealth Compensation seminar, attended by numerous industry leaders and practitioners.

Appointments

• Chair, Federal Litigation and Dispute Resolution Section, Law Council of Australia, 2020-present
• Deputy Chair, Federal Litigation and Dispute Resolution Section, Law Council of Australia, 2016-2020
• Treasurer, Federal Litigation and Dispute Resolution Section, Law Council of Australia, 2014-2016
• Executive Member, Federal Litigation and Dispute Resolution Section, Law Council of Australia, 2010-present
• Chair, Administrative Appeals Tribunal Liaison Committee, Law Council of Australia, 2016-present
• Chair, Commonwealth Compensation and Employment Law Committee, Law Council of Australia, 2010-present
• Secretary, Council of the ACT Bar Association, 2018-2021
• Treasurer, Council of the ACT Bar Association, 2017-2018
• Councillor, Council of the ACT Bar Association, 2014-2017
• Member, Australian Institute of Administrative Law, 2011-present
• Member, Editorial Board, AIAL Forum, 2016-present
• Member, ACT Independent Cricket Tribunal, 2011-present
• Councillor, Council of the Law Society of the ACT, 2004-2005
• Member, Public Law Commitee, Law Society of the ACT, 2025-present

Called to the Bar
2012

Master of Laws (ANU)
2006

Bachelor of Laws
2000

Bachelor of Social Science
1998

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LinkedIn

Phone

02 6130 0573

Email

woulfe@blackburnchambers.com.au

Practice areas

Appellate
Building and construction
Commercial law
Commissions and Inquiries
Common law / Personal injury
Constitutional law
Contracts
Corporations
Disciplinary proceedings
Employment law
Equity and trusts
Government
Human Rights Law
Inquests and inquiries
Insurance
Medical negligence
Military law
Prerogative writs
Professional discipline
Professional Indemnity Insurance (Engineers, Architects, Certifiers)
Professional negligence
Public / Administrative law
Torts
Trade Practices & Competition Law
Workers’ compensation