Queen’s Birthday 2022 Honours List
The Law Council of Australia congratulates all those recognised for their service to the law in the Queen’s Birthday 2022 Honours List, including:
• The Hon Chief Justice Edvard William Alstergren QC AO
• The Hon Robert Bruce McClelland AO
• The Hon Justice John Eric Middleton QC AM
• The Hon Justice Sarah Catherine Derrington AO
• The Hon Robert Peter Austin AO
• Emeritus Professor Mary Elizabeth Hiscock (Allan) AO
The full list of Queen’s Birthday recipients can be found here
Australia must address elder abuse
On World Elder Abuse Awareness Day, (June 15) the Law Council of Australia reissued a call for measures that will better protect older Australians.
The Law Council is calling for:
- Appropriate, sustained and increased funding for specialist legal assistance and aged care advocacy services, government agencies, and relevant state and territory tribunals that work towards reducing elder abuse.
- Implementation of outstanding priorities identified in the Australian Law Reform Commission and Royal Commission into Aged Care Quality and Safety (Royal Commission) reports and the National Plan to Respond to the Abuse of Older Persons 2019-2023, including:
- developing a new Aged Care Act which is consistent with the recommendations of the Royal Commission report by 1 July 2023; and
- ensuring that those in residential aged care facilities have legal redress to protect them from abuse, whether perpetrated by care providers (including in the use of restrictive practices) or fellow residents.
At the end of last year, the Law Council of Australia welcomed the decision by Commonwealth, state and territory Attorneys-General to prioritise enduring power of attorney law reform to reduce the risk of older Australians being subject to financial abuse and looks forward to this work coming to fruition.
Next steps to improve Australia’s settlement and integration of refugees
The Law Council welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the Office of the Coordinator General for Migrant Services in the Department of Home Affairs (Department) in relation to its discussion paper ‘Next steps to improve Australia’s settlement and integration of refugees’ (discussion paper).
According to the discussion paper, the upcoming tender and grants process for Australian Cultural Orientation Program (AUSCO), Humanitarian Settlement Program (HSP) and Settlement Engagement Transition Support Program (SETS) has provided the Department with an opportunity to consider whether changes to these services and how they are delivered could assist to improve settlement outcomes.
Gaire Blunt Scholarship
Applications are now open for the Gaire Blunt scholarship.
The Gaire Blunt Scholarship is offered by the Business Law Section of the Law Council of Australia (BLS) for papers on a topic in the field of competition law. First awarded in 2008, it commemorates Gaire Blunt, a leading competition law practitioner and a partner at Allen Allen & Hemsley (now Allens) from 1970 to 2005.
Applications can be made here
LCA Submissions
Recently published Law Council Submissions. ·
Next Steps to improve Australia’s settlement and integration of refugees. - Department of Home Affairs
Positioning Australia as a Leader in Digital Economy Regulation - Automated Decision Making and AI Regulation. - Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet
Review of sunsetting legislative instruments of the Native Title Act 1993 (Cth) - Attorney-General's Department
Section Submissions
Recently published Section Submissions.
- Crypto asset secondary service providers: Licensing and custody requirements, - The Treasury (Business Law Section)
- Corporate control transactions in Australia: options to improve schemes of arrangement, takeover bids, and the role of the Takeovers Panel - The Treasury (Business Law Section)
- Quality of Advice Review - Issues Paper - The Treasury (Business Law Section and Legal Practice Section)
Inquiries and consultations
As of 17 June 2022.
- CP 362 Extension of the binary options product intervention order - Australian Securities & Investments Commission
- Application of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples in Australia - Legal and Constitutional Affairs References Committee
- Electronic Conveyancing National Law - Australian Registrars' National Electronic Conveyancing Council
- Sharing Economy Reporting Regime - Australian Taxation Office
- [202207] User testing – Foreign Ownership of Australian Assets Register - Australian Taxation Office
- Stage 2 Reform of the Disability Standards for Accessible Public Transport 2002 - Department of Infrastructure, Transport, Regional Development and Communications
- Consultation: Online proceedings framework - Fair Work Commission
News and Media
Upcoming Events
Consumer Rights Forum 2022
19 July 2022
The Legal Practice Section's Consumer Law Committee will be hosting another exciting ‘Consumer Rights Forum’ in Sydney and by webinar.
Mahla Pearlman Oration 2022
27 July 2022
The Legal Practice Section of the Law Council of Australia and the Environment and Planning Law Association of New South Wales will co-host the 10th Mahla Pearlman Oration on 27 July 2022 in Sydney and online.
The Mahla Pearlman Oration honours the memory of the late Honourable Mahla Pearlman AO, the former Chief Judge of the Land and Environment Court of New South Wales (1992–2003), and former President of the Law Council of Australia (1989–90). The annual event is a tribute to Chief Judge Pearlman’s achievements and inspiration to younger generations of environmental lawyers.
