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In Brief Issue #865
18May
Annual Bar Dinner - last chance to secure a ticket
Next Friday we have the annual Victorian Bar Dinner at the Plaza Ballroom. Our guest of honour is the Chief Justice of the High Court, the Hon Susan Kiefel AC. Anne Hassan will be speaking on behalf of the Bar. We will be welcoming a long list of honoured guests, including the State and Commonwealth Attorneys-General and Shadow Attorneys; The Hon Martin Pakula MP and John Pesutto MP; and the Hon Christian Porter MP and the Hon Mark Dreyfus QC MP. It promises, as always, to be a great night.
It is almost—but not yet—too late to register to attend. The easiest way to secure a ticket is to click here to register online for yourself as an individual guest (we’ll place you on a table, or put in a request to be seated with someone else or a group), as a guest on an organised table, or as a table organiser.
I am looking forward to catching up with lots and lots of you next Friday.
Hong Kong ICLC Conference 2018 - Early bird registrations
Early Bird registrations have opened for the International Commercial Law Conference in Hong Kong on 21–22 September, to be hosted by the Victorian Bar and the Commercial Bar Association. It is set to be a superb conference in a fine venue. Key speakers and social events will be announced soon. It is sure to be a highlight of the year, in one of the most dynamic cities in our region.
New Conduct Policies launched
On Wednesday, the Bar’s new conduct policies and internal complaints procedures were formally launched at a well-attended CPD. Members will be able to view the video of the CPD when it goes online shortly. The presentation explained how and why the new policies were developed and how the different types of internal reporting and complaints procedures will work. Our ten Bar Conciliators were also announced.
During the CPD, I presented the results of last year’s State of the Victorian Bar report on bullying, discrimination and sexual harassment, and introduced further work being done by the Bar Council in relation to each of those areas.
There has been an overwhelmingly positive response to the new policies, for which I thank members. Thanks, too, to the hard work of the members of the Bar Council’s working group on Diversity and Inclusion, chaired by Jacinta Forbes QC and assisted by Kathleen Foley and Dan Nguyen.
Look out in coming days for the Bar’s impressive new brochure on diversity and inclusion, which tracks landmarks in the history of the Bar and our progress to date on gender equality and cultural diversity; sets out the Bar’s actions and initiatives in a wide range of areas, including indigenous justice; and provides information about our policies, education and grievance mechanisms.
William Ah Ket Scholarship
I encourage members of our Bar who were admitted to practice within the last five years to apply for the William Ah Ket Scholarship. The scholarship was established by the Asian Australian Lawyers Association to foster the development and promotion of cultural diversity in the legal profession. This year, the annual scholarship has been increased to $6,000 for the applicant who produces the most outstanding research paper on a topic dealing with equality, diversity and the legal profession or law, and $1,000 each for the authors of two shortlisted papers.
In 1903, William Ah Ket was an articled clerk at Maddock & Jamieson (now Maddocks), who sponsor the prize in his name. He became a member of our Bar in 1904. There is more information about Ah Ket’s career at the Bar and his contribution to the community on the application page for the scholarship.
Other goings on …
Yesterday, the profession welcomed Judge Mandy Fox as a Judge of the County Court of Victoria before a packed house of members of the judiciary and the profession. My speech on behalf of the Bar may be read on the Victorian Bar website.
Yesterday afternoon, I spoke at an event to mark IDAHOT day—the International Day Against Homophobia, Transphobia and Biphobia, which draws attention to the violence and discrimination experienced by LGBTI people internationally. The event raised funds for The Pinnacle Foundation, who provide scholarships to LGBTIQ students who are marginalised or disadvantaged.
Also this week, there was a special meeting of the Bar Council to consider whether amendments to the Constitution of the Victorian Bar should be proposed to strengthen further the Bar’s governance—something I will have more to say about in coming weeks; and I attended meetings of the Bar Council’s pro bono working group and the Barristers’ Consortium collaboration with the Melbourne International Festival of the Arts, and an event with leaders of the legal profession hosted by the legal affairs editor for The Australian, Chris Merritt.
That’s it for this week. I hope to see you all next week at the Bar Dinner.
Register online for Bar Dinner
The most efficient way to organise your table for the Bar Dinner on 25 May is to click here to register online (please note that this event is for Victorian Bar members only). Using the online form, you can book your tickets as an individual guest, as a guest on an organised table, or as a table organiser.
Registrations close today at 5pm.
Early-bird registrations are ON SALE NOW for the Hong Kong 2018 International Commercial Law Conference – see our website to register and for details on the program, accommodation and flights.
Win a trip to attend the Hong Kong 2018 International Commercial Law Conference www.hk2018iclc.com.
Prize Includes:
- economy return airfare;
- complimentary full conference registration; and
- the opportunity to participate in the Hong Kong 2018 ICLC as a panel member for one of the conference sessions.
To win, submit a 3-page written submission on one of the following topics:
- Is Privacy Dead? Use and Misuse of Sensitive Data
Is there a right to privacy, or even an entitlement to be forgotten?
Does or can the common law provide an answer to this question?
How can clients in litigation protect or obtain sensitive data from online platforms and from holders of such?
How safe is your client’s Ashley Madison profile?
And how safe are the details of your client’s bank account in Panama which were used to set up their Ashley Madison account?
- ‘Words Without Borders: Defamation and the Internet’
What constitutes publication on the internet?
Do special rules apply for Google, Wikipedia and Facebook, or is Webb v Bloch still good law?
The internet is now more often than not the new defamation battlefield rather than print and broadcast media.
How can convenors of online platforms or blogs, social media account holders or users and social media providers be held to account for content published online which they ultimately are able to control?
Key Dates:
- Submit application to hk2018iclc@vicbar.com.au before close of business on Friday 25 May 2018;
- Finalists shortlisted 7 June 2018;
- Speaking Competition on Thursday 14 June 2018.
Submissions must address the nominated topic and explain why the entrant should present on the topic, comprise of no more than 3 A4 pages in Times New Roman, size 12 font and 1.5 line spacing. Please submit in electronic form as a word document.
Finalists will be invited to compete at a function on Thursday 14June, 2018 attended by fellow barristers and young solicitor to be followed by a drinks function.
The competition is an excellent way for the junior commercial bar to promote itself amongst its solicitor peers.
* Competition is open to barristers who are members of CommBar and as at 1 January 2018, are less than 5 years call to the Victorian Bar, and less than 10 years since admission as a legal practitioner in an Australian state or territory.
We are pleased to advise that registration is now open for the next Junior Bar Conference for 1 June 2018 in the Neil McPhee Room. Remember, this year we are increasing the range and inviting barristers who have practiced for up to 10 years.
This years program includes:
Breakfast with Bar Council
Networking Lunch with Junior Silks
Three General Sessions on:
- Future Directions of the Victorian Bar presented by Dr Matthew Collins QC, President Victorian Bar
- The Rules of Statutory Interpretation
- Ethics & Professional Responsibility
Four Masterclass options to choose from:
- Courtroom Conduct & Advocacy
- Dealing with Expert Witnesses and Expert Evidence
- How to Become the Junior Barrister of Choice
- Hearsay Evidence
Click here to register.
Registration closes 24 May 2018.
PC renewals made between 1 May and 31 May will incur an $88 surcharge.
The LPLC requires payment of the professional indemnity insurance (PII) premium by 31 May 2018.
You should have received an email from the Legal Services Board (LSB) outlining details of the PC and PII renewal process. (Information is also provided on the Bar’s website).
Links for online lodgement are available through your member home page or you may go directly to LSB Online and LPLC website. Login to LSB Online and LPLC renewal using your Practitioner Number as the username (your Practitioner Number is published in the email sent to you by the LSB or you can contact the Bar Office for assistance). If you experience technical difficulties, please contact the LSB Online help desk by email online@lsbc.vic.gov.au in the first instance.
The LSB Online service deals with all PC administrative matters. There is no printed PC renewal form. Should you require assistance renewing your PC, the Victorian Bar Office can help you to access and use LSB Online, members who wish to attend the Bar office for assistance please do so between 9am - 3pm or contact Daphne Ioannidis on 9225 8326 to make an appointment.
The forms for LPLC Applicant Declaration (PII) are now available from the LPLC’s website or from the Victorian Bar Office on Level 5 205 William Street, however, practitioners are encouraged to renew online.
Optional Top Up insurance for barristers is available through Affinity Brokers. Inquiries to Affinity should be directed to Mary Spanos on (03)8587 7760 or mspanos@affinity.com.au.
Links to the application form and other relevant documents:
The Victorian Bar
The Lawyers' Mediation Certificate course will be held in June 2018.
Days: Friday to Sunday, 15, 16, 17, 22, 23 and 24 June 2018
Cost:
Vic Bar Members: $2,900 (inc $264 GST)
Non-Vic Bar Members: $3,300 (inc $300 GST)
A further discount of 10% is available to participants in the March 2018 or September 2017 Readers' Courses.
Registrations are limited to 18 participants.
Please contact education@vicbar.com.au for more details.
Download the Lawyers Mediation Certificate Registration flyer.
Speaker(s): Dr Peter Condliffe, Dr Elizabeth Brophy & Tony Neal QC
When: Friday, June 15, 2018 - 09:00 to Sunday, June 24, 2018 - 17:00
Where: Neil McPhee Room, Level 1 Owen Dixon Chambers East, 205 William Street, Melbourne VIC 3000
8 CPD point(s): Ethics & Professional Responsibility; Barristers Skills;
Courts Open Day - 2.30pm Saturday 19 May 2018 - Court 4.2 Melbourne County Court
On Saturday 19 May 2018 the Victorian Bar Student Engagement Committee will present a special performance designed to showcase the role of counsel, against the background of a bail application, from client advice through to appearing in court. The event is part of Law Week 2018 and is one of many events taking place on Courts Open Day. It’s a great opportunity for the public, and students in particular, to learn more about the Bar. Please spread the word to your networks and encourage any students you know to attend!
More information can be found at https://www.everyday-law.org.au/law-week/whats-on-in-law-week-2018.
Upcoming CPD events:
You must be a member of the Victorian Bar and logged into the VicBar website to view the following events.
- Good Mental Health for Criminal Barristers
- The Full Court Decision In Sandini: Tax Implications For Family Law Disputes & Rollover Provisions
- First Hand Hearsay
- Guarantees: Overview and Current Issues in Enforcement
- Recent Corporate Insolvency Reforms: Safe Harbour And Ipso Facto Clauses
- Indigenous Incarceration Rates in Australia: Pathways to Reform
- What Is The Spirit Of Sport?
- Junior Bar Conference
- Leave to Appeal Under Section 148 of the VCAT Act
- Intermediaries: New Rules in Victoria
- Choice of Jurisdiction for Sexual Harassment Claims and Quantum of Damages
- Commanding the Room Workshop
- Lawyers Mediation Certificate course
- The Post Sentence Authority
- Section 38 of the Evidence Act 2008 – Unfavourable witnesses
- Expert Evidence Workshop
Flu shots will be available for members in the Parents Room, Owen Dixon Chambers West on Monday 28 May 2018 from 7.30am – 1.00pm.
Bookings must be made online, and will be on a first in, first served basis.
Click here to book your time slot.
Click here to download the Medical Consent Form.
Join BottledSnail for FAMOUS CASES IN SONG as part of Law Week 2018! Reserve your seats now at: https://events.ticketbooth.com.au/event/famouscases
BottledSnail Productions presents Famous Cases in Song, a humorous retelling of the stories behind well known cases Donoghue v Stevenson and Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co in song. Judges and members of the Victorian legal profession come together to bring you this unique and engaging musical production as part of Law Week 2018. Famous Cases in Song is set to the tunes of Gilbert and Sullivan and was written by New Zealand Law Lecturer, Stephen Todd.
TICKETS ARE LIMITED
17 and 18 May 2018: 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm
19 May 2018: 3:30 pm - 4:30 pm
Law Library of Victoria, 210 William Street, Melbourne
Tickets: $30 (adult) / $23 (concession)
More Information: www.bottledsnail.com/famous-cases-in-song
CAST
- Rachel Ellyard
- Leon Fluxman
- Jonathan Hirst
- Associate Justice Mary-Jane Ierodiaconou
- Judge Samantha Marks
- Jemima Sim
- Judge Judy Small
- Carolyn Wait
- Judge Josh Wilson
- Senior Member Silvana Wilson
- Judge Ted Woodward
- Ian Woolford
CREATIVE/PRODUCTION TEAM
- Musical Director/Director: Kylie Weston-Scheuber
- Producer: Eliza Trembath
- Pianist: Genevieve Trinh
Law Week 2018 is presented by the Victoria Law Foundation.
BottledSnail Productions is a not-for-profit production company run by, and for, Melbourne's legal community. Our aim is to carve out a space for creativity, community, and fun in the busy lives of Melbourne's legal professionals and help to promote positive mental health in the industry. For further information about our company or to express your interest in being involved, please visit www.bottledsnail.com.
Don’t miss out on these exquisite boutique wines!
These prices will not be repeated.
View the offer and download the order form or email antoniof@vicbar.com.au
Cheers from the Essoign team.
Be sure to come in and tempt your taste buds.
Art Exhibition at Level 11 Owen Dixon Chambers East (aka Studio 11). Barristers on Level 11 of ODC East invite you to come view solo art exhibition by Melbourne Artist, Claire Lefebvre, "Lush. Layer Light", featuring some 20 works, comprising a series of paintings and limited edition prints which use layering techniques and mark making such as dots and lines. The works explore human emotion and perception as well as the material potential of acrylic paint, ink and various gloss and matte mediums. The paintings allude to architectural and biological forms, with surfaces which invite touch.
The exhibition runs from 16 April - 29 June. The works are for sale with no commission payable. Worksheets are found on level 11 East. Come up, have a break and just admire the work which is there to be enjoyed and shared.
"Studio 11" as it is colloquially referred to hosts art exhibitions on a term by term, voluntary basis. The aim is to allow all members of the Victorian Bar, colleagues, clients, staff, family and friends to easily access, enjoy and celebrate various original art by local artists in the work environment.
From 2 July 2018, all Supreme Court documents for Common Law, Commercial Court and Costs Court matters will be required to be electronically filed using the RedCrest electronic filing platform. Information sessions will be conducted at the Supreme Court throughout May and June to help Court users prepare for the move to RedCrest. To register your attendance, please book online via Eventbrite. For more information about the Supreme Court’s move to RedCrest, please refer to the Court’s website.
Bail in Victoria is changing on 21 May – the biggest changes in 40 years to the Bail Act 1977.
The College has published a range of materials on the changes, including:
- A new bail decision making flowchart
- Annotated legislative materials that highlight the new provisions of the Act
- DJR’s overview table of the legislative changes
- Plain language versions of the lists of Schedule 1 and Schedule 2 offences
- Collected bail conditions
- A list of risk indicators in family violence cases.
What will 2050's court system look like? Will technological advances merely create the need for new laws or do they present a threat to the rule of law? Does the legal profession still have a future? And if so, what is it? How do "lawyerbots" actually work? And do videolink hearings represent the future of the court system or a breakdown of the division between court and prison?
These are just a few of the questions to be raised at “Forces of Change: Defining Future Justice”, the Australasian Institute of Judicial Administration’s next conference, 24 - 26 May at Brisbane’s Stamford Plaza Hotel.
The conference aims to conceptualise and visualise the shape of future justice and hold an in-depth conversation on the fundamental principles that underpin our concept of justice but may be challenged in a period of significant change and disruption.
The line-up of speakers contributing is an eclectic mix of judges, academics and tech-experts. It includes the Chief Justice of New Zealand, Dame Sian Elias, the High Court's Justice Michelle Gordon, Justice Helen Winkelmann from NZ’s Court of Appeal and Chief Judge Peter Kidd of the County Court. Other speakers will include Mr Murray Bruce, formerly with IBM’s AI platform "Watson", CSIRO IP expert Mr Rajiv Cabraal, lawyerbot inventors Mr Athol Birtley and Mr Adrian Cartland, and “blockchain” expert Dr Philippa Ryan, from the University of Technology, Sydney
Beginning with a keynote talk on "the world in the year 2050", the conference will feature an opening address on the experience of the use of technology in the legal system in England and Wales, by the Right Hon Lord Thomas of Cwmgiedd, the former Lord Chief Justice of England and Wales. This will be followed by a panel discussion chaired by Radio National’s The Law Report presenter Damien Carrick.
Subsequent sessions include: a hands-on introduction to lawyerbots and AI; a look at the new laws that will be required by new technologies; and a survey of the future mental health needs of judicial officers and court staff. To close, a session on "management of change" will challenge participants to identify their own views. Are you an "early adopter"? Or a "maintain the rager"? Come along and join the conversation.
See the program and register at http://www.futurejustice2018.com/
Australia has been a global leader in the development and uptake of Alternative Dispute Resolution. But are we making the most of mediation, arbitration and other dispute resolution processes? What are the Victorian, national and international opportunities for innovation and growth?
Keynote Speaker: The Hon. Robert French AC, Patron of the Australian Disputes Centre
Date: Thursday, 24 May 2018
Time: 3.30pm for 4.00 – 7.00pm, followed by Networking Reception
Venue: La Trobe University, City Campus, Level 20, 360 Collins Street, Melbourne
Price: General $120.00, Young Lawyers $30.00, Students free.
CPD: Eligible
RSVP: Click HERE or call 02 9239 0700
UNCCA will hold its fourth annual May Seminar in Canberra on 25 May 2018 (commencing with a pre-conference cocktail reception on 24 May). The conference will address current developments in international contract law and electronic commerce, and dispute resolution including both private and state entities.
UNCITRAL is the core legal body of the United Nations system in the field of international trade law. UNCITRAL’s business is the modernisation and harmonisation of rules on international business. UNCCA is an organisation comprised of members of the Australian legal community, dedicated to promoting the work of UNCITRAL in Australia.
Click here for the conference program and to purchase tickets.
Date: Tuesday 29 May, 2018
Time: 6:00 pm - 7.00pm
Venue: Level 10 Boardroom accessed via Level 9 stairs
In awarding compensation for breach of contract, the law pays regard to the injured party’s involvement in events resulting in its loss. Familiar principles include intervening causation, mitigation (particularly, the avoidable loss rule) and contributory negligence. The second of these tends to feature more prominently in the law of contract than the first. But some judges and commentators say that the avoidable loss rule is merely an aspect of intervening causation.
Click here for more information and to register.
The age of technology and cyberspace has given rise to fascinating legal issues including in relation to privacy, big data, artificial intelligence and blockchain. Regulators are attempting to understand and keep up. This expert panel will consider some of the evolving issues that confront lawyers.
Date: Wednesday, 6 June 2018
Time: 5.15pm – 6.15pm
Venue: Court 8A, Federal Court of Australia, Owen Dixon Commonwealth Law Courts Building, 305 William Street, Melbourne
RSVP: Monday 4 June 2018, online at http://www.monash.edu/law/research/centres/clars
Click here to download the event flyer.
Date: 6 - 8 June 2018, Vientiane, Laos
Venue: Crowne Plaza Vientiane
Website: http://www.lawasia.asn.au/familylaw2018.html
Theme: ‘Family Law: Realities, Expectations and Hope’
Registration: Opening in February
Keynote Speaker: The Honourable John Pascoe AC CVO
The conference will focus on a range of cross border family law and children’ rights issues including:
- trafficking of the vulnerable;
- surrogacy and ethical challenges;
- impact of social media on family law;
- support for families and children in distress;
- effective negotiations and understanding the client, the lawyer and the child;
- technology in family law practice;
- International family law and Conventions;
- the protection of vulnerable members of the family;
- estrangement and alienation and future world – family law in the next decade.
Please visit the conference website to register and for more information on travel, accommodation and the conference program: http://www.lawasia.asn.au/familylaw2018.html
In this session you will learn the key principles of good community legal education. In a quickly changing communication landscape these principals underpin producing work across different formats – print, online and video.
When: Thursday 21 June 2018
Time: 9:30 am–12:00 pm
Where: Victoria Law Foundation Level 5, 43 Hardware Lane, Melbourne
Cost: Free
Click here for more information and to register.
Fast track your way to a career in international commercial arbitration. Registrations are now open for the 2018 CIArb Accelerated Route Towards Fellowship (ARF) course which will be held from 23 - 24 June 2018 at the Melbourne Commercial Arbitration and Mediation Centre. Delivered by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators (CIArb) this course is intended for suitably qualified candidates who are practising lawyers with at least 10 years’ standing and who have experience in arbitration. The Course syllabus is based on international arbitration law and it is essential that candidates have at least a reasonable working knowledge of the UNCITRAL Model Law and UNCITRAL Arbitration Rules. CIArb accreditation carries a global qualification in the growing practice of international arbitration. Places are limited. For further details and to register please click here.
Date: 11-13 July 2018
Venue: Melbourne Law School
From 11 - 13 July 2018, Melbourne Law School will hold the third biennial Public Law Conference, co-organised by the University of Melbourne and the University of Cambridge. The theme of the 2018 conference is ‘The Frontiers of Public Law’. The Public Law series is the pre-eminent regular forum for the discussion of public law matters in the common law world. The first two conferences in the series were held at Cambridge in 2014 and 2016. The 2018 conference will feature approximately 80 speakers, including leading judges, practitioners and scholars from across the common law world, and bring together over 300 delegates to discuss the most important issues in public law today. Keynote speakers include Lord Mance (UKSC), Hon Mr Kenneth Hayne (formerly HCA), Justice Debbie Mortimer (FCA), Sir Jack Beatson (English Court of Appeal), Justice Grant Huscroft (Ontario Court of Appeal), Justice Matthew Palmer (NZ High Court), Prof Cheryl Saunders (Melbourne), Prof David Feldman (Cambridge), Prof Anne Davies (Oxford), Prof Carol Harlow (LSE), Prof Mark Aronson (UNSW), Prof Anne Twomey (Sydney), Prof Benedict Kingsbury (NYU), and Prof Megan Davis (UNSW).
For further information and to register please visit our website: http://law.unimelb.edu.au/public-law-conference
Date: 17 - 20 July 2018
Venue: Melbourne Law School
From 17 - 20 July 2018, Melbourne Law School will host the 9th biennial Obligations Conference in conjunction with the Faculty of Law at the University of Oxford. The biennial Obligations Conferences bring together scholars and practitioners from throughout the common law world to discuss current issues in contract law, the law of torts, equity, and unjust enrichment. The Obligations Conference is the leading international forum for discussion of these subject areas. Approximately 90 presentations will be made over the three days of the conference, including keynote presentations by Professor Andrew Burrows (Oxford), the Hon Justice James Edelman (High Court of Australia), the Hon Justice Michelle Gordon (High Court of Australia), Professor Birke Häcker (Oxford), the Hon Justice Mark Leeming (NSW Court of Appeal), Professor Matthew Harding (Melbourne), and Professor Liam Murphy (NYU).
For further information and to register please visit our website: http://law.unimelb.edu.au/obligations9
The ASEAN Law Association is pleased to invite you to attend the 13th ASEAN Law Association General Assembly in Singapore, and The ASEAN Law Conference which will be held in conjunction with the 13th ALA General Assembly, from 25 – 28 July 2018.
The theme of The ASEAN Law Conference is "The Power of ONE: Unlocking Opportunities in ASEAN through Law". ALA’s vision for the Conference is to create and curate a world-class legal conference focused on thought-leadership issues pertaining to ASEAN, specifically regarding cross-border commercial and legal opportunities and challenges in the ASEAN Economic Community (“AEC”). In line with this vision, luminaries from ASEAN Member States and beyond have been invited to speak at the Conference on topics including the opportunities and challenges in the AEC, free trade agreements and bilateral investment agreements in ASEAN, competition law, disruptive technologies and financial integration. More than 500 legal professionals hailing from the ASEAN Member States and beyond are expected to attend the Conference.
Click here for more information and to register.
The International Criminal Law Congress is being held in the beautiful Byron Bay between 3 and 7 October 2018. The conference is well regarded as a premier criminal law conference, boasting some very impressive speakers. It is a fantastic opportunity to meet other criminal law solicitors and barristers from all over Australia and discuss current issues in criminal law.
Early bird tickets are now available by clicking here.
Social highlights include the welcome drinks at Elements on Byron, the Lawyers Long Lunch on Friday and Congress Dinner on Saturday not to be missed for their networking and conviviality.
Havana Cuba
There will be a family law conference held in Havana Cuba from 7th to 12th April 2019. The conference will take place at the Grand Hotel Kempinski, it will include papers from various barristers, solicitors and others who deal with family law. There will be time to see the city and partake in cultural activities”
Click here to download the conference flyer.
Arctic Conference
Following on from our successful conference in Antarctica in January 2017 there will be a further family Law conference in the Arctic in July 2020. There will be time on board the new ship, the Greg Mortimer, to hold a conference and also partake in the activities on and off the ship.”
Click here to download the conference flyer.
Bali Conference
The 9th annual Family Law conference in Bali is to be held from 8th to 11th June at the Oberoi Hotel. This conference will include a session on negotiation which may be of interest to those who do not practice in family law, and attendees at this conference will be from the Northern Territory, New South Wales and Victoria.
Click here to download the conference flyer.
Applications are open for the 2018 William Ah Ket Scholarship. The annual scholarship is open to final year law students, law graduates undertaking practical legal training and young lawyers with no more than five years’ post-admission experience. The Applicants are required to write a paper researching a topic relating to equality, diversity and the legal profession (or law). The William Ah Ket Scholarship has been devised by the Asian Australian Lawyers Association and is sponsored by Maddocks. Click here for more information.
- Melbourne CBD
- Full time, Fixed term until 10/6/2019
An opportunity exists to join a team of lawyers in the Common Law Division of the Supreme Court of Victoria and work with the judicial officers of the Division and Registry staff in the management of proceedings. The Class Actions and Major Torts Coordinator - Common Law assists the judicial officers of the Common Law Division of the Court, in particular, the Judge in Charge of the Major Torts List and the Principal Judge of the Division, to manage large scale, and often high profile, complex class actions and major torts cases. The position also provides support on occasion to other judicial officers in the management of cases within the other torts based specialist lists of the Division.
To be successful in this role you should be able to demonstrate a knowledge of class action procedures and have an ability to work in a high performing team in a complex working environment.
For further information on this position and to submit your application, please visit careers.vic.gov.au by 30 May 2018
The Victorian Government seeks expressions of interest in the position of Crown Counsel, initially for 12 months, with the possibility of extension.
Crown Counsel is a full time, public office created under the prerogative power of the Crown. Appointment as Crown Counsel is made by the Governor in Council.
A Victorian Crown Counsel provides legal advice to, and appears as counsel for, the (Victorian) Attorney-General and the Executive Government of Victoria. This may extend to:
- providing high-level legal advice to the Secretary, Department of Justice and Regulation and, by arrangement with the Attorney-General, the Premier, other Ministers, and other departments and agencies;
- appearing as counsel for the Secretary, Department of Justice and Regulation and, by arrangement with the Attorney-General, for the Premier, other Ministers, other departments and agencies, in courts, tribunals and inquiries,
- conducting reviews and investigations at the direction of the Attorney-General; and
- performing other related duties, as required by the Attorney-General.
Substantial experience as a senior member of the Australian legal profession, including advocacy in superior courts, is essential. Demonstrated expertise in legal practice in Victoria would be useful. Candidates must be aware of the need, and demonstrate capacity, to manage effectively any conflicts of interest that arise during their term in office.
Remuneration for the role may be subject to negotiation, but is typically equivalent to that for Victorian Public Service Executive Officers (band 2).
Expressions of interest, consisting of a brief covering letter and Curriculum Vitae (CV), should be submitted by 31 May 2018, either via email to: civillaw@justice.vic.gov.au or via post, to:
Mr Donald Speagle
Deputy Secretary, Civil Justice Department of Justice and Regulation 121 Exhibition Street
MELBOURNE VIC 3000
For further information, please ring Donald Speagle, Deputy Secretary, Civil Justice, Department of Justice and Regulation: (03) 8684 7825.
It’s not just the barrister standing up in the courtroom who must hone his or her use of language. Language is critical at all stages of the legal process. In this unit, you will learn how language can produce problems in the justice system and how to use language more effectively.
Led by experts drawing upon decades of legal and linguistic experience, this unit will develop your skills in the following areas:
- Conducting effective interviews with clients and witnesses
- Witness statements and affidavits
- Producing effective documents
- Questioning witnesses
- Courtroom communication
- Cross-cultural communication
- Vulnerable people in the legal process
- Using linguistic expertise
Click here to download the course flyer.
Bayside P-12 College in Newport is seeking a barrister volunteer to present to its Year 10 students on Wednesday 13 June 2018 between 11:00 am and 12:40 pm, regarding a career at the Bar. Interested volunteers should contact Kat Brazenor of the Student Engagement Committee at brazenor@vicbar.com.au.
Baxt Prize
The Baxt Prize honours the contribution of Professor Robert (‘Bob’) Baxt AO to business law in Australia. The 2018 Baxt Prize will be awarded for a research paper of outstanding quality dealing with any aspect of penalties in corporate and commercial regulation. The value of the Baxt Prize is $7500.00.
Click here to view the prize flyer.
Click here to download the application form.
Scholarship entries close at 5pm, 30 August 2018 AEST.
Forsyth Pose Scholarship
The Forsyth/Pose Scholarship is offered by the Business Law Section of the Law Council of Australia (BLS) for papers on a topic in the field of taxation law. It was offered for the first time in 2013 to commemorate leading taxation law practitioners Neil Forsyth QC and Kevin Pose. Both were
long-standing members of the BLS specialist Taxation Committee.
Click here to view the scholarship flyer.
Click here to download the application form.
Scholarship entries close at 5pm, 30 August 2018 AEST.
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.
Click here to view the scholarship flyer.
Click here to download the application form.
Scholarship entries close at 5pm, 30 August 2018 AEST.
Santow Scholarship
The Santow Scholarship is offered by the Business Law Section of the Law Council of Australia (BLS) for papers on a topic in the field of corporations law. Offered for the first time in 2014, it commemorates the Hon Kim Santow AO, a former Justice of the Supreme Court of New South Wales and prior to that a leading corporations law practitioner at Freehills.
Click here to view the scholarship flyer.
Click here to download the application form.
Scholarship entries close at 5pm, 30 August 2018 AEST.
The Australian Academy of Law is pleased to announce the offering of its Annual Essay Prize for 2018.
The Prize is open to anyone, wherever resident, who is studying or has studied legal subjects at a tertiary level, or who is working or has worked in a law based occupation. There is no limit by reference to the age or seniority or experience of, or position held by, a person who may submit an entry. Accordingly, judicial officers, legal practitioners, legal academics and law students are all eligible to submit an essay.
The amount of the Prize is $10,000.
The essay topic for the Prize in 2018 is as follows:
“Rights and freedoms under the Australian Constitution: what are they and do they meet the needs of contemporary Australian society?”
The deadline for the submission of an essay is 31 August 2018 and persons intending to submit an essay must notify the Academy of that intention in writing via the Academy’s website to be received by 30 June 2018. Both of these time limits are strictly observed, as the Rules Governing the Annual Essay Prize make clear.
Those Rules can be accessed on the Academy’s website: www.academyoflaw.org.au
Refer to the Academy’s website also for further information about notification of intention to enter and about the actual submission of an entry.
Registrations are now open for our June 6 day National Mediator Accreditation program scheduled in Melbourne. The program gives participants the opportunity to learn Conflict Transformation skills and receive their mediator training assessment as required by the National Mediator Accreditation System and upon successful assessment apply to become a Nationally Accredited Mediator.
Click on the below link for more information and to register.
National Mediator Accreditation Course
June 22 to 27 Melbourne
Visit our website www.cynglerconsulting.com for more information or join our mailing list to keep informed on courses that are coming up.
Deadline for the next issue:5pm, 24th May 2018