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In Brief Issue #1061
17Jun
Last night I chaired the Special General Meeting of the Bar. The only item of business was the proposed amendment to the Bar’s Constitution to ensure certain numbers of silks and non-silks in Category A. The SGM was well attended, and 382 members had submitted proxies. Darryl Burnett proposed the motion and spoke in favour of it. No one spoke against the resolution. In order to pass the resolution, a vote of 75% of those who voted (whether in person or by proxy) was required. 286 members voted in favour of the resolution; 120 members voted against the resolution. The percentage for the motion was 70.44% of members who voted. Accordingly, the resolution was not carried, and there will be no amendment to the Bar’s Constitution.
The Order of Australia recognises Australians who have demonstrated outstanding service or exceptional achievement. On behalf of the Bar, I congratulate the Hon Chief Justice William Alstergren AO, Rear Admiral the Hon John (Jack) T Rush AO RFD QC RAN and the Hon Justice John Middleton AM, who were recognised in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honour’s List for their respective contributions to the law, and the community more widely.
On Tuesday, I attended the unveiling of the portrait of Brendan Murphy QC in the Peter O’Callaghan QC Gallery. It was great to see a strong cohort of the criminal law bar in attendance. In an entertaining speech, Geoff Steward spoke of Brendan’s long and distinguished career, his character and the assistance he has given to many barristers over his over 50 years at the Bar. In reply, Brendan spoke of his passion for the Bar, the important work of barristers, and how it is fundamental to the administration of justice that there be a strong Bar to make a strong Bench.
On Thursday, I had the privilege on behalf of the Bar of welcoming Judge Caitlin English as a Judge of the County Court.
Next week, members may wish to attend the following ceremonial sittings:
Wednesday 22 June
A farewell ceremony to mark the retirement of the Honourable Justice Chris Maxwell AC, President of Court of Appeal, at 4:30pm
Thursday 23 June
Welcomes for:
The Hon Justice Timothy McEvoy as a judge of the Federal Court of Australia at 9.30am.
His Honour Judge Peter Rozen as a judge of the County Court of Victoria at 9:15am.
Róisín Annesley QC
Members must renew their PC before 30 June to continue to practise on 1 July. Members who renew after this date may incur a late renewal surcharge from the LSB+C.
The deadline for renewing your PII premium was 31 May 2022, and if you have not already done so, please renew online here.
Information on renewing practising certificates can be found on the VicBar website here.
Links for online lodgement, which can be found on the above webpage, will be available from the LSB+C and LPLC live dates, or you may go directly to LSB Online and the LPLC website.
Login to LSB Online and the LPLC renewal portal using your Practitioner Number as the username (your Practitioner Number will be included in the email sent to you by the VLSB+C, or you can contact the Bar office for assistance). LSB Online deals with all PC administrative matters, and there is no printed PC renewal form.
Once you have completed the renewal process, you will receive an email from the LSB to confirm that your PC has been issued. You will then be able to download it via LSB Online.
If you experience technical difficulties with LSB online, please contact the VLSB+C via their lawyer enquiry form in the first instance. In addition, answers to frequently asked questions and LSB online user guides can be found here.
Should you require assistance renewing your PC, the Victorian Bar office can help you, and members who need assistance should email membership@vicbar.com.au or contact Daphne Ioannidis on (03) 9225 8326 or Mark Bryant on (03) 9225 7111.
Order of Australia
The Bar congratulates the following members of our Bar who received awards in the Order of Australia:
OFFICER (AO) IN THE GENERAL DIVISION
The Honourable Chief Justice Edvard William Alstergren AO
Rear Admiral The Honourable John (Jack) T Rush AO RFD QC RAN
MEMBER IN THE GENERAL DIVISION (AM)
The Honourable Justice John Eric Middleton AM
We also congratulate all members of the legal profession who have received awards.
Supreme Court of Appeal
A farewell ceremony to mark the retirement of the Honourable Justice Chris Maxwell AC as a judge of the Supreme Court of Appeal will be held on:
Wednesday, 22 June at 4:30pm
The ceremony will limit attendance to Speakers and invited guests only due to distancing/capacity considerations.
The ceremony will be live-streamed and available to watch remotely here.
Federal Court of Australia
A ceremonial sitting of the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia will be held to welcome the Honourable Justice Timothy McEvoy as a judge of the Federal Court of Australia in Court 1, Level 8, Owen Dixon Commonwealth Law Courts Building, 305 William Street, Melbourne on:
Thursday 23 June at 9:30am
To attend in person, please RSVP to Ms Dimitra Argyros by email to dimitra.argyros@fedcourt.gov.au.
The ceremony will be live-streamed and available to watch remotely. To view the ceremony, please click here.
County Court of Victoria
A welcome sitting to mark the appointment of His Honour Judge Peter Rozen as a judge of the County Court of Victoria will be held in Ceremonial Courtroom 3.3, Level 3, 250 William Street, Melbourne on:
Thursday, 23 June at 9:15am
If you would like to attend this ceremony in person, you will be required to be fully vaccinated and self-administer a RAT on the morning of the Welcome.
Barristers can collect a RAT from the Victorian Bar office located at Owen Dixon Chambers East, Level 5, 205 William Street. As per current directives, the RAT may be collected the business day before, but no earlier.
If you are unable to attend in person, the welcome will be live-streamed here.
The Student Engagement Committee has organised a webinar panel discussion with three barristers who will discuss how eight students (and a nun) took the Federal Environment Minister to Court on climate change and the implications of this landmark decision for Australia’s future.
The webinar will take place on: 20 June 2022, 12:00pm - 1:00pm.
If you would like to attend, click here to register.
After the fun and success of the last two years, our Vic Bar LGBTQ+ inclusive social group is holding in-person welcome drinks for existing and new members to the Bar.
Date: Thursday, 30 June 2022 at 5:00pm
Location: Essoign Club
Whether you’ve been to every single event or haven’t made it along yet, come for a relaxed drink and catch up with your friends and colleagues at the Bar. We are particularly keen to welcome new members and people who may have been meaning to come but have never!
Please wear what you want. Everyone is welcome.
If you haven’t been along before and want some company, feel free to shoot john.heard@vicbar.com.au or beth.warnock@vicbar.com.au an email, and we’ll look out for you on the night.
Nominations for the next Victorian Bar Pro Bono Awards are still open.
The next Victorian Bar Pro Bono Awards Ceremony is scheduled for March 2023, and nominations for the 2023 awards are open until November 2022.
If you are aware of barristers who are making an outstanding contribution representing parties on a pro bono basis, please consider making nominations throughout the nomination period.
For more information or to submit a nomination, click here.
Information about the Awards includes a short video featuring the Honourable Chris Maxwell AC, President of the Victorian Court of Appeal, explaining how pro bono assistance provided by barristers makes a difference to vulnerable people in our community. The Pro Bono Committee is grateful to Michael Rivette, barrister and past Deputy Chair of the Pro Bono Committee and past Chair of the Communications Committee, for all his hard work in creating this excellent video.
Members are reminded that information about how you can get involved in the Victorian Bar’s Pro Bono Schemes is available on the Pro Bono page of the members’ website here.
- You may wish to prepay part or all of your rent for the 2023 financial year. With the 2022 financial year coming to a close, this is a reminder to contact us at bclfinance@vicbar.com.au by 15 June 2022 if you are considering prepaying part or all of next financial year's chamber charges.
- Are you travelling overseas soon? Set up Multi-Factor Authentication through BCL to help keep your data secure. Click here to read the latest communication and tips for when travelling overseas.
- COVIDSafe at BCL. The COVIDSafe at BCL web page has now been refreshed to provide information on what we are now doing in addition to healthy building improvements. We are focusing on areas such as air filtration and monitoring benefits to ensure we have measures in place for BCL owned buildings, and we are also continuously working with the building managers (and their advisors) of our leased buildings. Click here to see what we are doing and what you need to do in the event of a positive COVID-19 result.
The following are highlights of upcoming CPD and events for Victorian Bar members. You must be a member of the Victorian Bar and log into the VicBar website to view these events.
- Trial Series 2: Cross-Examination is on 20 June 2022 from 5:15pm-6:15pm. The second seminar of the Trial Series CPD brings a panel of experienced criminal trial advocates to share their observations about cross-examination before a jury in a criminal trial. This is an in-person event and will also be available online via livestream. Click here to register.
- Intersecting Family Law and Part IV/TFM claims and curly questions in mediations: a panel discussion is on 21 June 2022 from 5:00pm-6:00pm. In this seminar, the panel will discuss a hypothetical fact scenario with the Chair, asking a series of questions to reveal the ethical issues involved. This is an online only event. Click here to register.
- The Chapter III problem - Reimagining the Australian Military Justice System is on 30 June 2022 from 5:15pm-6:15pm. With the election of a new Labor Government in May 2022, this seminar will raise for discussion a new proposal for the establishment of a specialist Chapter III military court and a new form of service tribunal to address the problem where the Chapter III military court cannot or will not sit outside Australia in war or war-like operations (Australian Court Martial Tribunal) or, alternatively, that the ACMT should now take the place of all service tribunals in peacetime and in war. This is an in-person event and will also be available online via livestream. Click here to register.
For more upcoming CPD events, please visit our listings here.
The Australian Federation of Ukrainian Organisations has established the “Ukraine Crisis Appeal” in partnership with Rotary Australia World Community Services (RAWCS). This volunteer organisation has close contact with people on the ground in Ukraine and thus an understanding of immediate needs and capacity to deliver aid quickly and efficiently. Active support of wounded veterans, the delivery of urgently needed specialised medical equipment and support for much needed counselling services are just some examples of work carried out. In recent weeks there has been a concentration on providing assistance by refurbishing schools, refurbishing sanatoriums and halls as comfortable family shelters and the provision of medical services in towns where these facilities have been destroyed.
Donations to the Ukraine Crisis Appeal through RAWCS are tax-deductible. RAWCS, for transparency, audits all expenditures of the fund. Members are asked to consider supporting this very important cause. You can donate by clicking here - www.ukrainecrisisappeal.org
Studio 11 is delighted to host and invite you to view its current exhibition, 50 Years as a Sculptor featuring works by Michael Meszaros OAM. The body of work comprises some 78 pieces. Some are for sale, which affords viewers a wonderful opportunity to acquire a piece of very collectable work. Meszaros has produced a large body of very recognisable work, both commissioned and for exhibition, ranging from major public works to small medals which feature in local and international collections. He has won prizes. His public works are in Melbourne, regional Victoria, interstate and overseas. The exhibition runs from 2 May to 24 June 2022. Please visit and enjoy it at your leisure.
Dear Essoign Club Members,
We are open daily from 7:30am – till late and Happy hour is back EVERY EVENING with $5 Beer and Wine from 5:00pm till close.
Breakfast - for dine-in or takeaway.
Lunch – Daily Café Menu take away or delivery.
Lunch Dine-In - A La Carte from midday.
Bar – EVERY EVENING - $5 Beer & Wine from 5pm till late with light snacks available.
Catering & Events - Special lunches, working lunches, private dinners or something special you may have in mind. Email us at essoign@vicbar.com.au
We appreciate your ongoing support and look forward to seeing you in the Club.
Victorian Bar members are encouraged to use the Member Benefits online portal, where you can access a wide variety of discounts, special offers, and member-only deals as part of your Bar membership.
The exclusive benefits are available Australia-wide and are not generally open to the public.
To activate your account and access the benefits, please click here. You must log in using your vicbar.com.au login details.
Click here for the monthly best buys!
The fees payable in the federal courts and tribunals will increase from 1 July 2022 to reflect changes to the consumer price index over the past financial year.
This is an automatic increase provided by the relevant fee regulations.
Please click here for a copy of the notice published in the Government Notices Gazette on 14 June 2022, setting out the new fees payable.
Barristers can tap into the full Law Library from the comfort of their own desk, whether you’re in the CBD or regional Victoria, with online access to:
- Native Title in Australia
- Defamation Law in Australia
- The Laws of Australia
- Encyclopaedic Australian Legal Dictionary
- Commonwealth Sentencing Database
- Hutley’s Australian Wills and Precedents
And many more!
Free to Victorian barristers + 100% digital + available 24/7. Register and log in here.
In honour of the late Emeritus Professor Louis Waller AO, the Louis Waller Fireside Chat will be hosted on 22 June 2022 as a fundraising event to support the future of clinical law programs at Monash University and Tel Aviv University. Please join us via live stream to listen to a discussion of ideas close to Professor Waller's heart: innovation in teaching, humanitarian law, and the expansion of access to justice in communities around the world. Please register here.
Professor Patrick Keyzer, Dean of Law, is pleased to invite you to the Thomas More Law School Public Lecture "Who was Saint Thomas More?" with Professor Ian Freckelton AO QC at Mercy Lecture Theatre, Building 404, Australian Catholic University, Young Street, East Melbourne, or join virtually via Microsoft Teams Live, on Tuesday, 21 June 2022.
In-person registration and canapes from 5:30pm
The lecture will commence at 6:00pm.
The link will be provided after completing your registration
Dress code: Business attire
Please RSVP by clicking below by Friday, 17 June 2022.
Please advise of any dietary requirements with your RSVP.
Register here.
The Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (Australia) and Melbourne University Law School warmly invite you to the launch of Commercial Arbitration in Australia Under the Model Law by Professor Doug Jones AO and Professor Janet Walker CM. The launch will feature an address by Professor Richard Garnett (Melbourne Law School), as well as the co-author of this third edition, Professor Janet Walker CM.
The launch will be followed by the 2022 Sir George Turner Public Lecture presented by Professor Doug Jones AO on ‘Australia – The Very Model of a Modern Arbitration Law’.
For more information and to register for the event, visit this link. Click here to view the flyer.
Date: 29 June 2022
Time: The launch will be held from 5:00pm to 6:00pm, followed by the Sir George Turner Lecture from 6:00pm to 7:00pm.
Venue: Melbourne Law School, Law Building (Building 106)
Please note this event follows a launch held in Sydney hosted by ACICA on 22 June 2022.
Pacifica Congress, formerly the AFCC (Australian Chapter), is holding its’ annual conference in Brisbane from 7 to 9 July this year. This organisation is the leading multidisciplinary group for Family Law professionals across the legal and social science fields. The program for this year’s conference will be up to or exceed the standard of previous conferences. It is the ‘go to’ conference for those counsel who do, or need to know, parenting cases.
The program can be viewed here.
Mark Weinberg AO QC will present the 2022 HAL Victorian Chapter Oration on The Investigation and Prosecution in Australia of Alleged War Crimes, 21 July 2022, 5:30pm for 6:15pm-7:15pm.
Cost: HAL members $30, non-members $40
Drinks & finger food from 5.30pm.
Click here for the flyer and to register.
If you would like to contribute relevant news, events, and updates for barristers and the legal profession to In Brief, please send an email with your content to inbrief@vicbar.com.au or complete this submission form.
Deadline for the next issue:5pm, 23rd June 2022