2021 Law Council of Australia
Executive Announced

At the recent Directors’ Meeting of the Law Council of Australia, the following Directors were elected as Members of the Law Council Executive for 2021. Read more.

Dr Jacoba Brasch QC, President
Mr Tass Liveris, President-elect
Mr Ross Drinnan, Treasurer
Mr Luke Murphy, Executive Member
Mr Greg McIntyre SC, Executive Member
Ms Caroline Counsel, Executive Member

Should Australia join the Global Magnitsky movement?
The Law Council of Australia generally welcomes the release of the Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade - Human Rights Sub-committee’s Report as part of its Inquiry into targeted sanctions to address human rights abuses. As highlighted in the Law Council’s recent media release, the recommendation that Australia should adopt a stand-alone Magnitsky-style legislation, is a move in the right direction. Read more.

Exposure Draft of proposed changes to the Franchising Code of Conduct
The Competition and Consumer Committee of the Business Law Section provided a submission to the Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources in response to proposed changes to the Franchising Code of Conduct (Franchising Code or Code). While the Committee welcomed the government’s review of the Franchising Code, and the implementation of many of the recommendations made in the Exposure Draft, there are still some issues that the Committee raised regarding specific proposed changes. The submission can be read here.

Section Executive Appointments
The Law Council Sections recently hosted their individual Annual General Meeting over the past few weeks. New appointments have been made to the ILS Executive, LPS Executive, FLDRS Executive and the FLS Executive.

International Law Section (ILS)
Legal Practice Section (LPS)
Federal Litigation Dispute Resolution Section (FLDRS)
Family Law Section (FLS)

The Business Law Section Executive remain the same.

Christmas and New Years break
The Law Council of Australia will be closed from COB 23 December 2020 and will open on 4 January 2021. The Law Council team would like to wish you a Merry
Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Awards and Scholarships 2020

The Law Council had the opportunity to interview and get to know the winners of the President's Award, the John Koowarta Scholarship and the Australian Young Lawyer Awards.

President's Award

Mr Stephen Keim SC
The Law Council of Australia’s 2020 President’s Award was presented to Queensland barrister, Stephen Keim SC, a champion of human rights in Australia and around the world.

The President’s Award is awarded to an individual who has been an ‘outstanding example to the Australian legal profession and to those who might seek to join its ranks’.

Law Council President, Pauline Wright, presented Mr Keim with his award at the annual Law Council Director’s Meeting held virtually, as a result of COVID-19 restrictions, on 5 December. Read more.

Listen to Mr Keim's acceptance speech here.
Read Mr Keim's interview here.

John Koowarta Scholarship

Ms Sophie Coffin
University of Western Australia law student, Sophie Coffin, was awarded the John Koowarta Scholarship for 2020. Sophie is a proud Ngangumarta/Yindjibarndi woman from Port Hedland WA and currently finishing her Juris Doctor. Her passion for human rights, social justice and intellectual property informs her aspiration for a career in the protection of the intellectual property rights of Aboriginal artists in Western Australia. Read more.

Watch Sophie's acceptance speech here.
Read Sophie's interview here.

Australian Young Lawyer of the Year

Mr Dean Clifford-Jones, Queensland Lawyer
A Queensland lawyer working to advance the rights of the LGBTIQ+ legal community has won the 2020 Australian Young Lawyer Award. Dean Clifford-Jones founded Pride in Law in 2017, which advocates for tolerance and equality across the legal profession. Read more.

Watch Dean's acceptance speech here.
Read Dean's interview here.

Australian Young Lawyer Organisation Award

The Australian Young Lawyer Organisation Award was presented to the NSW Young Lawyers Human Rights Committee for its program, “Addressing Sexual Harassment in Australian Legal Workplaces” and to the Law Institute of Victoria’s Young Lawyers, for its program “Physically Distant, Professionally Close: How to thrive in a virtual world”, launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. Read more.

NSW Young Lawyer - Human Rights Committee

Watch the acceptance speech here.
Read the interview with the NSW Young Lawyer Human Rights Committee here.

LIV Young Lawyers

Watch acceptance speech here.
Read the interview with the LIV Young Lawyers here.

LCA Submissions

Recently published Law Council Submissions.

Statutory review of Part 14 of the Telecommunications Act 1997 (Cth), Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security Committee.

Section Submissions

Recently published Section Submissions.

Exposure Draft of proposed changes to the Franchising Code of Conduct, Department of Industry, Science, Energy and Resources, (Business Law Section).
Draft AER Compulsory Notice Guidelines, Australian Energy Regulator, (Business Law Section).
CP 325 Product Design and Distribution Obligations, Australian Securities and Investments Commission, (Legal Practice Section).

Inquiries and consultations

As of 11 December 2020.

Proposed Listing Rules changes: online forms, notification of security issues and corporate action timetables, ASX.
Review of the Surveillance Legislation Amendment (Identify and Disrupt) Bill 2020, Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.
Inquiry into extremist movements and radicalism in Australia, Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.
Australian Education Legislation Amendment (Prohibiting the Indoctrination of Children) Bill, Parliamentary Senate Standing Committees on Education and Employment.
Temporary Migration, Parliamentary Select Committee on Temporary Migration.
Your Future, Your Super package, The Treasury.
National Redress Scheme Second anniversary review, National Redress Scheme
2021-22 Pre-Budget Submissions, The Treasury.
Right to Repair, Productivity Commission.
Commonwealth Integrity Commission consultation draft, Attorney-General’s Department.
Consultation on remuneration requirements for all APRA-regulated entities, Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.
Review of Judicial Impartiality, Australian Law Reform Commission.
Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability, Royal Commission.
Review into the Framework of Religious Exemptions in Anti-discrimination Legislation, Australian Law Reform Commission.
Review of the Legislative Framework for Corporations and Financial Services Regulation, Australian Law Reform Commission.

News and Media

Media releases and statements:

2021 Law Council of Australia Executive, 10 December 2020.
Human Rights Day: Isn’t it time to reconsider our mandatory, long-term immigration detention regime?, 10 December 2020.
Law Council President calls for Parliament to reinstate judges to authorise ASIO questioning powers, 10 December 2020.
Cautious support for Magnitsky-style legislation, 8 December 2020.
Cashless Debit Card far from the perfect solution, 7 December 2020.
Human rights advocate, Stephen Keim SC, wins Law Council of Australia President’s Award, 7 December 2020.
Australian Young Lawyer Award 2020 goes to LGBTIQ+ inclusiveness advocate, 7 December 2020.
UWA law student, Sophie Coffin, wins 2020 John Koowarta Scholarship, 7 December 2020.
Richardson Review: Law Council deeply concerned by recommendation to cut judiciary out of warrant approval, 4 December 2020.
Law Council raises grave concerns about lack of safeguards in new ASIO powers, 4 December 2020.

Key coverage:

Interview with Pauline Wright on ABC Radio National - AM, 14 December 2020, discussing concerns from the legal profession in relation to war crimes.
‘No one's safe under these laws': Surveillance Bill could target activists and downloaders, The New Daily, 10 December 2020.
‘This legislation is wrong’: Cashless welfare card faces Senate scrutiny, Pro Bono Australia, 9 December 2020.
Cashless debit bid attacked, Northern Territory News, 8 December 2020.
'Outdated' court system needs small business jurisdiction: Ombudsman, The Australian, 7 December 2020
Law to ban cash for purchases of $10,000 or more abandoned, but don't be surprised if it's revived, ABC online, 7 December 2020.
Lawyers query findings of spy powers audit, Canberra Times, 6 December 2020
Dutton seeks new cyber powers, The Saturday Paper, 4 December 2020.

2021 Law Council of Australia Executive Announced