Robert Richter

Robert Richter (born 13 February 1946) is an Australian barrister, based in Melbourne. He has handled a number of high-profile cases including defendants unpopular in public opinion. He is an adjunct professor at Victoria University. He is a critic of human rights violations and advocates for the rule of law. Early life and education Richter was born on 13 February 1946 in the Kirghiz Republic, at that time a republic of the Soviet Union. His father was a Polish Jew, and his mother was Ukrainian; they had met there after being displaced during World War II. After living for ten years in Israel, Richter's family moved to Melbourne, Australia in 1959, following an uncle who had already established business in the textile industry. Along with the rest of his family, the 13-year-old Richter arrived in Australia with little or no English. It has been reported that he taught himself English with the aid of television programs and dictionaries. Richter was admitted to the degrees of the Bachelor of Arts, and the Bachelor of Laws with honours from the University of Melbourne in the late 1960s. Richter was Editor of the Melbourne University Law Review. He was called to the bar on 5 August 1971. Membership of statutory bodies and professional organisations Richter was a committee member of the then "Criminal Bar Association of Victoria", and the Victorian Bar Council from 1997 to 1999. Richter was President of the Victorian Council for Civil Liberties from 1994 to 1996. In addition to his business as a barrister, Richter was also a part-time Commissioner of the Law Reform Commission of Victoria from 1989 to 1992. He was appointed a silk on 26 November 1985.