LCA supports petition for independent ILAP

The Change the Record Coalition, of which the Law Council is a member, has launched an online petition calling for the next federal government to retain an independent Indigenous Legal Assistance Program (ILAP). Read more.

Heinrich appointed honorary life president of the Commonwealth Lawyers’ Association

New South Wales solicitor, and former president of the Law Council, Ron Heinrich AM has been appointed an honorary life president of the Commonwealth Lawyers’ Association. The prestigious - and rare - honour was bestowed at the biennial Commonwealth Law Conference, held in Livingstone, Zambia. Read more.

 Business Law Section 2019 Scholarships are now open

The Business Law Section is offering three Scholarships this year, they include the: 

• Gaire Blunt Scholarship - for papers on a topic in the field of competition law. 
• Santow Scholarship - for papers on a topic in the field of corporations law. 
• Forsyth/Pose Scholarship - for papers on a topic in the field of taxation law. 

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted on an official application form obtained online. Please submit applications to the BLS Administrator, Jessica Morrow, via email Jessica.Morrow@lawcouncil.asn.au.

Applications and papers must be received by 5pm, 30 August 2019 AEST.

Advocacy

Inquiries and consultations as of 18 April 2019.

• Proposal Paper - Proposed reform to facilitate greater admissibility of tendency and coincidence evidence in criminal proceedings, Council of Attorneys-General, Admissibility of Tendency and Coincidence Evidence Working Group. 
• Universal terms for insurance within MySuper, The Treasury.
• Review of Model Defamation provisions, NSW Government, Policy and Reform.
• Review of the Tax Practitioners Board, The Treasury.
• Consumer Data Right draft rules consultation, Australian Competition & Consumer Commission.
• Offshore reinsurers and the review of prudential standard LPS 117, Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.
• Review into Australia’s corporate criminal responsibility regime, Australian Law Reform Commission.
• Consultation on prudential practice guide CPG 234 information Security, Australian Prudential Regulation Authority.
• INSLM Review of the Australian Citizenship act 2007 (cth) ss 33aa, 35, 35a and 35aa Revocation of Citizenship by Conduct or Ministerial Determination, Independent National Security Legislation Monitor.
• Modern Slavery Act 2018: Draft Guidance for Reporting Entities, Department of Home Affairs.
• The forward governance agenda – member consultation, Australian Institute of Company Directors.
• CP 309 Update to RG 209: Credit licensing: Responsible lending conduct, Australian Securities & Investments Commission.
• Draft Tax Determination TD 2019/D1: Income tax: What is a 'restructuring' for the purposes of subsection 125-70(1) of the Income Tax Assessment Act 1997, Australian Taxation Office.
• Employee Share Schemes, The Treasury.
• Superannuation binding death benefit nominations and kinship structures, The Treasury.
• Artificial Intelligence: Australia's Ethics Framework, Department of Industry, Innovation and Science.
• NDIS Thin Markets Project, Department of Social Services.
• Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, Royal Commission.
• Consultation Paper - Guidance Note 20 – Equity Derivatives, Takeovers Panel.
• Review of the Australian Citizenship renunciation by conduct and cessation provisions, Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.
• Review of the amendments made by the Telecommunications and Other Legislation Amendment (Assistance and Access) Act 2018, Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.
• Review of the mandatory data retention regime, Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.
• Free and equal: An Australian conversation on human rights, Australian Human Rights Commission.

News and Media 

Media release:

• Law Council welcomes ALP’s First Nations justice funding package, 26 April 2019.
• Further incident at Don Dale highlights NT Government’s longstanding failure to replace unsuitable facility, 22 April 2019. 
• Resourcing, consultation key to improve family law, 11 April 2019. 

Key Coverage:

• Greens announce $1.59bn plan to improve public access to justice system, The Guardian, 28 April 2019.
• Law Council cheers proposed $107m funding for First Nations justice, Australasian Lawyer, 27 April 2019.
• Chinese 'justice' faces scrutiny, The Australian, 26 April 2019.
• More calls for Don Dale centre to go, Canberra Times, 23 April 2019. 
• NT government commits to youth justice betterment, Lawyers Weekly, 23 April 2019.
• Don Dale: law council demands federal government shut down youth detention centre, The Guardian, 22 April 2019.
• ATO fights Glencore on legal privilege, Australian Financial Review, 17 April 2019.
• ‘No excuse’ for failing to address ‘immediate crisis’ in family courts, Lawyers Weekly, 16 April 2019.
• Rushed cyber laws could have unintended consequences, Canberra Times, 14 April 2019.

Events

Upcoming events​

• 7 May - ILS International Law and Practice Course
  Host: International Law Section
  Venue: Gilbert & Tobin, Sydney
  Email: doris.wimmler@lawcouncil.asn.au
   
• 17 May - Hot Topics in Commonwealth Compensation
  Host: Federal Litigation and Dispute Resolution Section 
  Venue: RACV Club, Melbourne
  Email: travis.kotzur@lawcouncil.asn.au
   
• 4 June - ILS International Law and Practice Course
  Host: International Law Section
  Venue: The Law Society of New South Wales, Sydney 
  Email: doris.wimmler@lawcouncil.asn.au
   
• 15 June 2019 - Family Law Intensive - Adelaide
  Host: Family Law Section
  Venue: Hilton, Adelaide
  Email: events@familylawsection.org.au

You can view more events here.