It is with great sadness that we report the death of Master George Hampel (Professor The Honourable George Hampel AM KC) on Tuesday 8 October, aged 91. The Inn’s flag was flown at half-mast on Friday 11 October in his memory.

Master Hampel was born before the Second World War and escaped with his immediate family from Poland to Russia when the Germans invaded Poland. Many of his extended family did not survive the Holocaust. Towards the end of the war he and his mother escaped from Russia to Paris and then to Australia. He was called to the Bar in Victoria in 1954. He defended John Stonehouse in his extradition proceedings in 1975 and came to London to represent him at a successful bail application in the Hight Court. He was a justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria from 1983 to 2000.

He is best known for his contribution to advocacy training; he was the first professor of advocacy to be appointed worldwide. The “Hampel Method” was adopted by many common law countries to teach advocacy and was introduced by him to the four Inns when he led a series of “training the trainer” events here in the 1980’s. He was a strong supporter of advocacy training within the Inn and was elected as an Academic Bencher 2013. His wife, Master Felicity Hampel, is also an advocacy trainer and Academic Bencher of the Inn.

Details of any funeral and/or memorial service will be circulated in due course as appropriate.