‘Justice State of the Nation’ televised addressLaw Council President, Morry Bailes, will be joined by former Law Council President, Fiona McLeod SC, in a live televised address at the National Press Club next Wednesday, 14 March, to deliver a ‘Justice State of the Nation’ speech. A major focus of the speech will be on the Law Council’s Justice Project – a root-and-branch national review into the state of access to justice in Australia for our most disadvantaged people. As part of the address, broad and recurring themes uncovered by the Justice Project team will be outlined. You can watch the address live on ABC TV at 12.30pm, Wednesday 14 March. You can also catch up on ABC Iview. To learn more about the Justice Project, visit www.justiceproject.com.au Money for Panel could be better spent Law Council President Morry Bailes and Law Council Family Law Section Chair Wendy-Kayler Thomson presented the Law Council’s views on the Family Law Amendment (Family Violence and Other Measures) Bill 2017 and Family Law Amendment (Parenting Management Hearings) Bill 2017 to the Senate Legal & Constitutional Affairs Legislation Committee Hearing. The Law Council and Family Law Section’s concerns with the Bills and suggestions for alternative ways to invest the $12.7 million were raised in the opening statement which you can read here. Joint Standing Committee on Treaties hears Law Council’s concerns about Extradition Treaty with Jordan In the submission, the Law Council raised a number of human rights concerns with both treaties particularly the differences in court and detention practices between Jordan and Australia. The Law Council also reiterated a number of long-standing concerns it has with the Extradition Act and Mutual Legal Assistance Act, regarding evidentiary standards and criminal process. The Law Council opposed ratification of the treaties in their current form. While Committee recommended the Treaties be ratified, it also adopted the Law Council’s recommendation that the Government should be required to monitor the treatment, detention and trial of any person extradited to Jordan. Labor Senators of the Committee also appended a Dissenting Report which stated that those Senators are ‘grateful to the Law Council of Australia for their work in illuminating the issues that still go unresolved in our current extradition arrangements’ and cited the Law Council’s concerns in detail. Parliament is yet to ratify the Treaties. Comprehensive whistleblower regime sought The Law Council would like to have access to non-judicial remedies (e.g. through the Fair Work Commission under the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 (Cth) included and a firmer definition of the phrase ‘improper state of affairs’ which is too broad. Additionally, the Law Council would like to see the creation of a single Whistleblower Protection Act, an agency such as a whistleblower protection authority empowered to implement the regime and appropriate resourcing for effective implementation. Read the submission here. 2018 John Koowarta Scholarship winner Sign up to our Equitable Briefing PolicyIn recognition of International Women's Day, there is not better time to show your support for gender equality. Sign up to the LCA's Equitable Briefing Policy today. The Law Council would also like to thank all the Victorian Bar members who have recently signed up to the Policy. We appreciate your support. AdvocacyInquires and consultations:
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Events Event wrap up: ILS International law and Practice Course - lecture 2 Caption: Tim Castle (Deputy Chair, ILS), Avryl Lattin (Clyde & Co), Dr Andrew Bell SC, Dr Wolfgang Babeck (Chair, ILS). Dr Andrew Bell SC, one of the leading practitioners at the NSW Bar and co-author of Ngyh’s Conflict of Laws, presented the second ILS International Law and Practice Course Seminar, on Tuesday 6 March 2018 at the offices of Clyde & Co in Sydney. In his presentation on Private International Law, Dr Bell surveyed a wide range of situations in which conflict of laws can arise, including torts, contracts, product liability and family law, with many examples drawn from the decided cases. Most of these cases raise two essential questions for practitioners – what is the appropriate venue and what is the applicable law. The Seminar was chaired by Clyde & Co partner, Avryl Lattin who drew on her experience both at the firm and in her prior role as a trade counsel at DFAT to highlight the importance of an understanding of Private International Law in practice. The course now has over 65 registered participants, mostly younger practitioners, and the Section is looking at how we expand the course for next year. It is not too late for existing or new members to join this year’s course – if you are interested, please email the ILS Administrator. Upcoming events 2018
For more events and information, visit the Law Council's event page. |