One of Australia's most respected legal figures reflected on her path from law school misfit to Queensland's first female Chief Justice at the 2026 Mason Conversation.
The Honourable Catherine Holmes AC SC has spent decades at the top of the legal profession but still remembers a time when she had little understanding of the law and even less certainty that she belonged there.
"I knew nothing about law or what study of it would entail," she said.
"I didn't know any lawyers. We were a working-class family and the only professional we came in contact with was the local GP … so it was all a bit of a mystery to me and I embarked having no clue really."
Speaking at the 2026 Mason Conversation with Director of UNSW Sydney's Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law , Professor Janina Boughey, Ms Holmes was candid about her journey, from feeling like "a bit of a misfit" at law school to making history as Queensland's first female Chief Justice.
"Looking back, I see a certain neurodivergence," she said. "But it was valuable because it did give me that command of language. The other thing about my childhood that was formative was that I was the youngest of six, which gave me an affinity with the underdog."
Throughout the conversation, Ms Holmes reflected on her career spanning the bar, the bench and the Robodebt Royal Commission. She offered insights into judicial independence, access to justice, civic education and the importance of public service.
A lifelong commitment to justice
Ms Holmes was admitted as a solicitor in 1982 and as a barrister in 1984. She spoke about experiences in her early career, including helping establish the volunteer Women's Legal Service in Queensland during the 1980s.
At the time, legal protections for women experiencing family violence were limited.
"Legal aid was very scant. It was a pretty terrible, bleak time," she said.
"I remember a woman looking at me and saying, 'If I leave him, he will kill me,' and thinking, that's probably right and there's not really anything we can do about that."
For Ms Holmes, that moment reinforced the importance of legal services and the need for legal reform. When asked if there were more ways to improve access to justice in society, her response was swift.
"Decent legal aid funding would be a start," she said. "And of course it's up to the profession to help with access to justice by pro bono work and by supporting community legal centres with money and time."
Ms Holmes said becoming Queensland's first female Chief Justice in 2015 was less significant to her than restoring confidence in the court after a turbulent period.
"This was a time when we were coming out of what we called 'the troubles' in Queensland. The Newman Government had [previously] installed a Chief Justice who was not well regarded … and the Attorney General and the Premier had the court under constant attack," she said.
"The consequence was that it was a bonding experience for the court … because it became apparent that we all shared some fundamental values about integrity and judicial independence. So it was a very bonded court to take over the leadership of and I think that was much more important than any issue of gender."
Lessons from Robodebt
Ms Holmes led the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme from August 2022 to July 2023. The scheme, implemented by the federal government in 2015, involved automated debt assessment and recovery.
Hundreds of thousands of people were wrongly accused of owing money and the bungled scheme has since cost the government more than $2.4 billion following multiple class actions .
Reflecting on the evidence presented in the inquiry, she said: "It's going to sound naïve, but I was really shocked.
"I was shocked that public servants were so compliant with ministerial designs ... and I was shocked that some government lawyers justified what was happening rather than giving proper legal advice."
Ms Holmes said the Commission's recommendations may reduce the likelihood of similar failures in future, but cautioned that no reforms could eliminate the risk entirely.
Advice for the next generation
Looking beyond the courts, Ms Holmes argued that Australia should invest more in civic education.
"If I ruled the world, I would make civic education a requirement of all secondary education," she said.
"People should not reach adulthood without understanding the place of the courts in a democracy or the importance of judicial independence."
Ms Holmes offered practical advice to students and early-career lawyers eager to make a difference.
"Start local," she said. "Volunteer at your community legal centre and do the work nobody else wants to do ... It's valuable work. It's not always a big thrill, and it's often quite hard, but people need to do it. Not enough people step up."
Honouring Sir Anthony Mason's legacy
Established in 2016, The Mason Conversation series honours the late Sir Anthony Mason AC KBE GBM , celebrating his outstanding contribution to UNSW and the legal profession.
UNSW Dean of Law & Justice, Professor Andrew Lynch, paid tribute to Sir Anthony Mason's enduring legacy and commended Ms Holmes as the latest distinguished speaker in the series.
"This event continues the series' purpose of fostering meaningful conversations with leading legal thinkers on issues of real public importance," Prof. Lynch said.
"Ms Holmes's career is an exemplar of Sir Anthony's own strong belief in the law as a force for accountability and a fair society."
