National Roundtable on Addressing
Sexual Harassment in the Legal Profession
The Law Council held a virtual national roundtable on 8 July 2020 to discuss sexual harassment in the legal profession and strategies to address this complex and pervasive issue.
The aim of the roundtable was to provide a forum for experts from across the country to refine policy positions for specific legislative reforms, and to further develop approaches that can be adopted to combat this important issue.
Attendees included inclusion and diversity representatives from the Law Council’s Constituent Bodies, the Australian Bar Association, regulators of the legal profession, women lawyers’ associations, law student and university representatives and the Sex Discrimination Commissioner. Read more.
Oral statement presented to the 44th session of the United Nations Human Rights Council
On 9 July 2020, Law Council President, Pauline Wright, addressed the 44th session of the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva on extrajudicial killings of lawyers and judges in the Philippines. Read more.
Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Amendment Bill 2020
On 10 July 2020, the Law Council appeared before the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security inquiry into the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Amendment Bill 2020 (ASIO Bill). The ASIO Bill proposes two major expansions to ASIO’s intelligence collection powers. Read more.
Migration Amendment (Prohibiting Items in Immigration Detention Facilities) Bill 2020
The Law Council made a written submission on 29 June 2020 to the Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee recommending that the Migration Amendment (Prohibiting Items in Immigration Detention Facilities) Bill 2020 not be passed as it has not been demonstrated that it is necessary, reasonable or proportionate. Read more.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Peoples in Immigration Detention, Following Love and Thoms
On 30 April 2020, the Law Council wrote to the Minister for Home Affairs and the Acting Minister for Immigration regarding media reports that individuals asserting an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander identity were being held potentially unlawfully in immigration detention centres. Read more.
2020 John Koowarta Scholarship Round open
Applications for the 2020 John Koowarta Reconciliation Law Scholarship are now open. The Scholarship is available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students enrolled in an approved course of study for admission as a legal practitioner in Australia. For further information or to apply visit the LCA website.
Advocacy
Inquiries and consultations as of 15 July 2020.
Migration Amendment (Prohibiting Items in Immigration Detention Facilities) Bill 2020 – Questions on Notice, Parliamentary Senate Legal and Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee.
Review of the current CPD requirements for lawyers in Victoria, Victorian Legal Services Board and Commissioner.
Inquiry into the Working Holiday Maker program, Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Migration.
Inquiry into Financial Technology and Regulatory Technology – Questions on Notice, Parliamentary Select Committee on Financial Technology and Regulatory Technology.
Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability – Criminal Justice System Issues Paper, Royal Commission.
Creating a world class migration advice industry, Department of Home Affairs.
COVID-19, criminal activity and law enforcement, Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law enforcement.
Inquiry into family, domestic and sexual violence, Parliamentary House of Representatives Standing Committee on Social Policy and Legal Affairs.
Inquiry into the human rights of women and girls in the Pacific, Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade.
Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety, Royal Commission.
Inquiry into the destruction of 46,000 year old caves at the Juukan Gorge in the Pilbara region of Western Australia, Parliamentary Joint Standing Committee on Northern Australia.
Review of AFP Powers, Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.
Review of ‘Declared Areas’ Provisions, Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.
Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability - First Nations People with Disability issues paper, Royal 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.
Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD), Attorney-General's Department.
Supplementary: Australian Security Intelligence Organisation Amendment Bill 2020, Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security.
News and Media
Media releases and statements:
- Law Council concerned government amendments to the ASIO Act are an overreach, 10 July 2020.
- Government going too far prohibiting items in detention facilities, 3 July 2020.
- Law Council expresses concern over AFP referral, calls for legal reform to protect journalism, 3 July 2020.
Key coverage:
- Law Council urges parliament to pull back Australia's broad counter-terrorism powers, The Guardian, 14 July 2020.
- Pauline Wright on QandA, 13 July 2020, asking Julia Gillard a question on sexual harassment in the legal profession.
- Roundtable of legal experts addresses sexual harassment, Lawyers Weekly, 13 July 2020.
- 'Emerging issue': AFP warns children being influenced by right-wing extremism, Sydney Morning Herald.
- Australia offers safe haven amid controversial national security laws, Lawyers Weekly, 8 July 2020.
- Federal government insists bid to confiscate mobile phones in immigration detention is not a 'blanket ban', SBS, 6 July 2020.
- We can't wait 73 years for progress: Wyatt, Australian Financial Review, 4 July 2020.
- Immigration Plan to increase number of strip searches, ban mobile phones Centre detainees face 'gross injustices', Canberra Times, 4 July 2020.
- Media reform call follows police referral, Canberra Times, 3 July 2020.
