Random Banner 2
In Brief Issue #868
8Jun
Silk Appointment Process 2018
The Chief Justice, the Hon Anne Ferguson, this week released details of the silk appointment process for 2018. Suitably experienced lawyers who are officers of the Supreme Court of Victoria are eligible to apply to the Chief Justice to be appointed to the office of Senior Counsel.
The process is different in some respects from that which has applied in recent years. The principal differences are that, this year:
- as well as being assisted by a Preliminary Evaluation Committee chaired by the Hon Stephen Charles AO QC, which provides the profession’s views of applicants, the Chief Justice will also be assisted by a Silks Advisory Committee comprising judges from a number of different jurisdictions;
- the Chief Justice will seek judicial references which assess, on a sliding scale and by way of qualitative evaluations, the extent to which applicants have satisfied each criterion for appointment;
- where a specific allegation adverse to an applicant is made during the consultation process or in a reference, the applicant will be given the opportunity to respond to the allegation; and
- following completion of the consultation process, the Chief Justice will interview each applicant.
The detailed process for the appointment of Senior Counsel in 2018 can be found here. The Chief Justice has published an important message for intending applicants, which can be found here. The application form is materially unchanged from last year and can be found here.
All members who are considering applying for silk this year, or in future years, are encouraged to attend a CPD Seminar on Tuesday 12 June at 5.15pm. The Hon Stephen Charles AO QC will join me to discuss the revised process and answer questions. More details in ‘Upcoming CPDs & Events’, below.
Applications will close on Thursday 5 July 2018 at 5pm.
Wellbeing at the Victorian Bar survey
Our ‘Wellbeing at the Victorian Bar’ survey is now live. Please take 8–10 minutes and complete the survey (you must be logged in to the Bar website to access the survey).
Your support is important. We aim to get at least 1,000 responses—we need comprehensive and meaningful data to help inform us about overall health at the Bar, and how to best direct our limited resources to support the health and wellbeing of our members. At last count, since ‘going live’ on Monday, nearly 400 members have completed the survey which is a great start, but we would like everyone to participate
Participation is entirely voluntary, your responses are completely anonymous and you cannot be identified in any way via the link. The survey is open until 2 July, but I urge you to complete it now.
Victorian Bar support for Judicial Independence and the Role of the AAT
The Bar issued two media releases this week.
In the first media release, I expressed concern, on behalf of the Bar, at recent media reports undermining the integrity of judges of the Family and Federal Circuit Courts in coverage concerning the federal government’s proposed restructure of those courts.
In the second media release, I criticised recent inaccurate media reports concerning decisions of the AAT reviewing administrative decisions cancelling or refusing visas on character grounds.
As I said in both media releases, scrutiny of courts and tribunals is healthy—indeed vital—in a robust democracy, but there is no place for ill-founded criticism of judges or tribunal members. As members would expect, the Victorian Bar remains steadfast in its commitment to defending the independence of the judiciary and upholding the rule of law.
Barristers’ Consortium
The Barristers’ Consortium—a collaboration with the Melbourne International Festival of the Arts—hosted a “mini preview” of a work the Festival hopes to bring to Melbourne. Flight, based on Caroline Brothers’ 2012 novel Hinterland, tells the epic journey of two orphaned brothers who flee Afghanistan with their small inheritance stitched into their clothes. Our goal for the Consortium is to facilitate, via philanthropic support, the presentation of art works that challenge, provoke and inspire, and that have the potential to drive a change in public discourse in areas about which members of the Bar are passionate. Members interested in joining the Barristers’ Consortium and contributing to that objective can find more information here. Support from members of the Bar to date has been remarkable, but if you have not done so yet, it is not too late to sign up and become part of this innovative fusion of the arts and law.
Appointments and Farewells
The profession will extend a Welcome to Michael Cahill SC in a ceremonial sitting of the County Court on Friday 15 June at 9.15am, and to Magistrate Tara Hartnett at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court on Thursday 28 June 2018.
The profession will extend farewell to the Hon Justice Robert Osborn at a ceremonial sitting of the Supreme Court on Thursday 21 June at 5pm, and to the Hon Justice Lasry at a ceremonial sitting of the Supreme Court on Friday 22 June 2018 at 5:00 pm.
Vale Michael Connolly
It is with deep regret that the Bar Council informs members of the death of Michael Kevin Connolly, retired Judge of the Federal Circuit Court of Australia. Michael was 73 years old. The Bar’s Obituary for Michael Connolly may be read here.
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.
Follow us on Twitter and Facebook to receive conference updates.
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:
- We are still accepting applications, submit your application to hk2018iclc@vicbar.com.au
Finalists shortlisted 7 June 2018;details to followSpeaking Competition on Thursday 14 June 2018updated details to follow
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 attended by fellow barristers and young solicitors 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.
PC renewals made between 1 June and 30 June will incur a $176 surcharge.
The LPLC payment of the professional indemnity insurance (PII) premium was due 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:
In this practical workshop with Richard Lawton, you will develop skills in:-
- Vocal delivery strength
- Communication style
- Body language awareness
- Breath control for handling nerves
- Tips for delivering a clear story
Numbers are strictly limited to enable individual coaching and small group practice.
Where: Neil McPhee Room, Level 1 Owen Dixon Chambers East, 205 William Street, Melbourne VIC 3000 Australia
When: Wednesday, June 13, 2018 - 17:00 to 19:00
Cost: $100
Click here to register.
The Victorian Bar Foundation’s Student Achievement Award and Mentoring Program aims to encourage young adults from diverse backgrounds to consider a career at the Bar and convey the message that the Bar is open to all.
In its inaugural year, fifteen of the highest ranking legal studies students from schools in the City of Hume have been awarded a $1,500 prize in recognition of their academic excellence. A wider group of talented legal studies students, including the prize winners, are being mentored by junior barristers from our Bar. The Foundation wishes to express its gratitude to the barristers below, who have generously donated their time to mentor the students from the City of Hume, as well as to past donors to the Foundation who made offering the prize possible.
The Foundation will in due course consider extending the prize and the program to reach further students in future years. The Foundation may also consider including students in other regional areas. If you wish to support the extension of the Student Achievement Award and Mentoring Program, please consider making a donation to the Foundation this year (the Foundation’s donation letter can be found at the following link https://www.vicbar.com.au/sites/default/files/Donation%20Letter.pdf and the Foundation’s donation form can be found at the following link - https://www.vicbar.com.au/sites/default/files/Donation%20Form%20.pdf)
Thank you to the Victorian Bar Foundation mentors:
- Adam Baker
- Edward Batrouney
- Elizabeth Bennett
- Georgia Berlic
- Oren Bigos
- Kate Bourke
- Kat Brazenor
- Roxanne Burd
- Catherine Button
- Fiona Cameron
- Roshan Chaile
- Georgie Coleman
- Renee Enbom
- Kylie Evans
- Kathleen Foley
- Robert Forrester
- Matthew Goldberg
- Timothy Goodwin
- Krystyna Grinberg
- Min Guo
- Astrid Haban-Beer
- Haroon Hassan
- Justin Hooper
- Mark Hosking
- Leigh Howard
- Rebecca Howe
- Nasos Kaskani
- Angela Lee
- Hadi Mazloum
- Banjo McLachlan
- Nina Moncrief
- Sandip Mukerjea
- Adrian Muller
- Emrys Nekvapil
- Will Newland
- Claire Nicholson
- Charles Parkinson
- Jesse Rudd
- Daniel Sala
- Raelene Sharp
- Tom Smyth
- Daniel Snyder
- Myles Tehan
- Chris Tran
- Caryn van Proctor
- Jillian Williams
Upcoming CPD events:
You must be a member of the Victorian Bar and logged into the VicBar website to view the following events.
- Silks Information Session
- Commanding the Room Workshop
- Serious Injury Applications - Navigating eCourt Books and Electronic Transcript on your iPad or Tablet Device
- Regulators' Update: Priorities and Approach to Civil Penalties
- The Post Sentence Authority
- Section 38 of the Evidence Act 2008 – Unfavourable witnesses
- Expert Evidence Workshop
You are invited to the Official Opening of Clara Davies’ photographic exhibition, "SELECTUS", at The Essoign Club on Tuesday, 12 June 2018 from 5.00pm.
The exhibition will be officially opened by travel photographer, Richard I'Anson, Canon Master Australia and author of the Lonely Planet Guide to Travel Photography.
Clara’s passion for photography has seen her build a portfolio of images from her travels. In the past five years Clara has ventured to more than 45 countries across all seven continents. Clara has chosen to journey to some of the most wild and remote regions of our planet including Antarctica, South Georgia, the Arctic (even all the way to the North Pole), Patagonia, remote Russia, South America, Africa and the Middle East. Clara’s goal has been to capture the unique beauty of these places.
On the night Clara will be presenting a selection of her favourite images as limited edition photographic prints; all of which have been fine art printed and custom framed.
I hope you can join us on the night for a drink and a chat, and to take a quick journey around the world to some of those places that you might not have already visited.
RSVP no later than Monday 4th June davies@burtdavies.com.au.
Click here to view the event flyer.
Henschke wine dinner at the Essoign. Bookings close on Tuesday 12th of June.
Celebrating 150 years of Henschke wines at the Essoign. Join us on Tuesday 19th June for a three course dinner with matching Henschke wines.
The Henschke family now sixth-generation will take you on a journey of their worldwide recognized exceptional quality wines, innovation and sustainability of their vineyard.
Limited spaces available and bookings are essential. Book at www.trybooking.com/VZLV See event flyer for more information or to make a booking. For any enquiries please contact Marijana Hegedis on 9225 6748.
Long suffering St Kilda supporters are invited to join CEO Matt Finnis and Head of Football Simon Lethlean for drinks, canapés, and a chat
Click here to download the event flyer.
The Lex Pistols are back to perform live at the Essoign on Thursday the 28th of June from 6pm.
Join us in wishing The Honourable Justice Lex Lasry all the very best pre mid-year vacation. An event not to be missed
Click here to download the event flyer.
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.
Come and celebrate Refugee Week with us at the Refugee Film Festival!
We have 5 amazing films from around the world with special Q&A guests including cast members, directors and many more. All films are being held at the beautiful Cinema Nova in Carlton.
Click here for more information.
Don't miss these EOFY member deals from Land Rover, Mazda, LG and more!
The National Indigenous Law Awards aim to highlight and recognise the achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians who demonstrate a passion and commitment to improving justice outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians.
Nominations for the 2018 awards open at 9.00am AEST on Tuesday 29 May 2018 and close at 12.00pm AEST on Friday 29 June 2018.
Further details on criteria for each of these categories, together with nomination and application details, can be found on the Attorney-General’s Department website.
Changes are being made to the times that magistrates hear matters at the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria.
On 8 May 2018, Chief Magistrate Peter Lauritsen issued Practice Direction 4 of 2018: Sitting Times of the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria, which details the changes.
This is in recognition of the fact that over time magistrates and judicial registrars have been sitting in court for longer periods due to an increasing number of proceedings.
“The workload of the judiciary and administrative staff of the court poses an issue for health and wellbeing,” Mr Lauritsen said. “The changes to sitting times will reduce pressure for everyone working in the justice system.”
From Monday 4 June 2018, the sitting hours of the court will be from 10am to 4pm. Court registry hours will remain unchanged.
At the same time capacity to hear bail applications has increased at the Melbourne Magistrates’ Court with hearings from 10am to 9pm seven days a week.
Mr Lauritsen said the revised sitting hours would contribute to creating a well-functioning, sustainable justice system that has the wellbeing of those working within the system as a key focus.
The court will continue to prioritise the following types of matters:
- bail applications
- hearings in which the accused are in custody
- family violence cases and family violence fast tracking cases
- sexual offences (and associated timelines)
- cases involving children and young people.
The latest news from the Victoria Law Foundation can be read here.
Fitzroy Legal Service is holding a fundraising campaign for our public interest law work.
We’ve had some great impact with our public interest work in recent times:
- We prompted changes to the secrecy provisions in the Australian Border Force Act
- Forced the release of the business case for the East West Link
- Got children relocated from Barwon maximum security adult prison
- Successfully campaigned against the City of Melbourne’s ‘anti-camping’ and ‘move on’ laws
- And just this week we lodged a submission urging the Victorian Government to reconsider the proposed amendments mandating imprisonment for assaults against emergency workers
Your support will help us continue to stand up to government overreach and unjust laws.
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.
Date: Thursday 21 June 2018
Time: 9:30 am–12:00 pm
Venue: Victoria Law Foundation Level 5, 43 Hardware Lane, Melbourne
Cost: Free
Click here for more information and to register.
Date: Wednesday, 27 June 2018, 2pm – 4pm
Venue: Geelong Corporate Centre, Deakin University Waterfront Campus, Sally Walker Building, Cunningham Street, Geelong
Mark has a history of crime, homelessness and drug abuse. He has since become a leading figure in the criminal justice reform movement both in the United Kingdom and internationally. Mark’s organisation, User Voice, is led by ex-offenders and works to transform the criminal justice system - see: http://www.uservoice.org.
He is supporting an innovative peer mentoring pilot program in Geelong, a partnership between User Voice, Deakin University, Give Where You Live Foundation, Ian Potter Foundation, Helen McPherson Smith Trust, and the Department of Justice and Regulation.
Register by 18 June by contacting: claire.seppings@deakin.edu.au
The World Law Forum is an independent, non-partisan, international community of change-makers committed to promoting the rule of law and transforming the world through law. The World Law Forum stands to unite a new generation of collaborators and leaders within and beyond law through Advocacy, Education, Innovation and Research. The Forum focuses on issues related to Business and Human Rights; Technology & Cyber Security; Rule of Law and Access to Justice; Freedom of Expression; Environment & Sustainability and Diversity & Inclusion. 3 conferences in 3 different cities (Melbourne, Sydney and New Delhi) on 3 different topics will be running from June to August 2018. More information can be found at www.worldlawforum.org. Follow them on LinkedIn, Facebook and Twitter to receive the most up-to-date information.
Date & Time: Monday 2 July 2018, 12noon-1pm
Venue: La Trobe University, Melbourne (Bundoora) campus, Martin Building, Level 2, room 241
Presenter: Meme Drumwright
Unethical conduct has been uncovered in many types of organizations—businesses, governments, and non-profits. In some cases, it is surprisingly persistent, occurs over the long-term, and is tacitly acknowledged as “the way things are done around here.” The widespread revelations of inappropriate behaviour within Hollywood production houses and newsrooms illustrate the prevalence of sexual harassment and abuse (e.g., Harvey Weinstein, Roger Ailes, Matt Lauer, Charlie Rose). The accounting fraud that resulted in the ultimate demise of Enron is another example of long-term unethical and illegal conduct. Volkswagen Diesel’s cheating in emissions testing, and SNCLavalin’s bribery of foreign officials both show the extent of damage unethical conduct can create within organizations. In all of these cases, knowledge of the ethical issue was widespread throughout the organization, tacitly supported, and ignored. Victims or individuals with the courage to speak out against the “norm of unethical behaviour,” in contrast, were isolated, silenced, and felt powerless. We propose that integrating two theories—network theory and behavioural ethics theory—will be helpful in understanding and explaining this phenomenon. In particular, we suggest that networks of complicit and powerful individuals form around the perpetrator and enable on-going unethical conduct. The network supports the leader or other manager, and it is instrumental in making the behaviour part of the culture. We label these networks “networks of complicity.” In contrast, “networks of empowerment”—e.g., #MeToo, #PressForward, and “Time’s Up”—can form within or outside the focal organizations. Networks of empowerment draw attention to the perpetrator, sanction the conduct, and support the victims. These networks help people give voice to their values and enable positive change. Based on in-depth interviews, we are examining both networks of complicity and networks of empowerment to understand the factors that support their formation and activation. Though the study is in the early phases of data collection, theoretical concepts, initial observations, and some tentative findings will be presented.
Click here for further registration and further details.
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
Date: 25 – 28 July 2018
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.
Date: 27 July, 2018
Venue: The Gallery Room, Mitchell Wing, NSW State Library
The Hon Justice Gleeson, Justice Andrew Phang, Associate Professor Goh Yihan, Assistant Professor Eliza Mik, Professor Elisabeth Peden, Professor Woody Hunter, Professor Greg Tolhurst, Associate Professor Katy Barnett, Associate Professor Wayne Courtney, Emeritus Professor John Carter
Click here for more information and to register.
The International Law Association conference is a major international legal event. This year it is to be held in Sydney from August 19 to August 24, 2018.
The current conference schedule and registration links are at https://www.ila2018.org.au/.
With over 200 speakers and numerous panel sessions on topics of private and public international law, maritime law, and international trade law, this is an event not to be missed. Confirmed speakers include the Chief Justice of the High Court of Australia and Lord Mance JSC of the United Kingdom Supreme Court.
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.
Date: 15-17 November 2018
Registration is now open for the Australian Bar Association Conference which is being held at the International Convention Centre in Sydney from 15-17 November 2018. If you are under 7 years at the bar, they are offering a ‘super special junior early registration’ for the first 50 juniors that register. Total cost for two day registration is $1,250. Early bird registrations close on 13 July 2018. There is also a discount available for the junior bar who register with in-house counsel. Further details in the notice below.
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.
Join us in sunny Malta for a 3 day conference – registration fee includes:
- Registration and Welcome evening
- 3 night’s accommodation at the Palace Hotel, Sliema Malta (5 star)
- Daily breakfast, morning tea & lunch
- 8 professional development sessions
- Australian and Maltese presenters
Flights not included (but lots of early bird specials about for 2019)
Registration fee
$2,000 conference attendee
$350 non-attendee (sharing room with attendee)
HOW TO REGISTER
Email one of us and we will issue you with tax invoice $500 (per conference attendee) non-refundable deposit is payable with your book and the final payment due 1 April 2019.
Marlene Ebejer: 0411 772 064
marlene@ebejerlawyers.com.au
John Spender: 0409 147 646
john.spender@kennedylaw.com.au
Angela de Mel: 0411 611 171
aedemel@gmail.com
Legal practitioners with experience in criminal law and advocacy, and a passion for the administration of justice, are invited to apply for Senior Crown Prosecutor and Crown Prosecutor positions.
This is an exciting opportunity for suitably qualified and experienced legal practitioners to undertake and support criminal prosecutions on behalf of the Victorian community.
Crown Prosecutors perform a vital role in the criminal justice system, appearing on behalf of the Director of Public Prosecutions in criminal trials and appeals and providing legal advice to the Office of Public Prosecutions.
Working within the Crown Prosecutors Chambers’ is an opportunity to advance your career and be at the forefront of the move to sophisticated technology changes within criminal law, including e-trials.
The successful applicant/s will prosecute and advise on serious crimes, appear in a wide range of matters in all criminal jurisdictions, including regional courts.
The successful appointee(s) will have access to flexible working conditions.
Salary will be commensurate to relevant experience.
To submit your expression of interest please visit www.careers.vic.gov.au and provide a current CV and cover letter.
For more information please contact:
Chief Crown Prosecutor Brendan Kissane QC
03 9603 7886 or Brendan.Kissane@opp.vic.gov.au
Applications close: 11.59 pm Monday 11 June 2018
The Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service (VALS) in conjunction with Centre for Cultural Competence Australia have developed a cultural competency course titled “Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Cultural Competence Course”. The course is mapped to three units of core competency and on completion participants will receive a Certificate of Completion from the Centre for Cultural Competence Australia. Participants will also receive a resource pack for their ongoing learning and reference, this will include course notes made during the course, personalised action plan, together with a number of fact sheets and additional
resources.
This course has been developed for Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians and for people living and working anywhere within Australia. Whether you are delivering services specifically to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, or someone working with the general public or you just want to know more about the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people you live with, this course is for you.
It has been developed as a first step in a training pathway and as a pre-cursor to face-to-face, local and role specific cultural training. The course is designed to develop capabilities and build cultural competence whatever your level of knowledge in Aboriginal cultural education.
The cost is $192.50 per person.
We would encourage you to consider undertaking the course in order to develop your ability to work with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples in and out of the justice system, for further details please access https://vals.ccca.com.au.
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.
Date: Thursday, 21 June
Time: 5:45pm Registration, 6:00pm Commencement, 7:30pm Close
Venue: MinterEllison, Level 23, Rialto Towers, 525 Collins Street, Melbourne
Join the Victorian Arbitration and Determinative SIG for a discussion on funding in alternative dispute resolution.
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: 28 July - 5 August 2018
Following the success in Singapore in 2016 and Hong Kong in 2017 this pre-eminent tertiary course offers a prestigious globally recognised qualification and is aimed at meeting the increasing demands for
accredited arbitrators and arbitration practitioners to resolve cross border disputes in the Asia Pacific and beyond.
The course fee includes entry to not only the course but high-end networking/social events including the course dinner which will have The Hon Christian Porter, Attorney General of Australia as the guest speaker.
To register and gain further information, you can visit https://www.ciarb.net.au/training/diploma2018/about-the-course/ but the following snapshot may assist.
Entry Requirements are as follows:
- Practising lawyers and other professionals who are familiar with legal reasoning and concepts and are involved in arbitration (domestic or international) and who wish to increase their knowledge and understanding of international commercial arbitration.
- Associates or Members of the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators who have experience of domestic arbitration practice and wish to extend their knowledge to include international arbitration procedures.
- 3 August 2018: Course Dinner
The Western Australia Club
Level 11/12 St Georges Terrace, Perth WA 6000
Guest Speaker: The Hon Christian Porter, Attorney General of Australia - Official Accommodation Provider
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.
Date: Monday 17 - Friday 21 September 2018
Fees: £4,500, £3,500 (for registrations by 15 June 2018)
Investment arbitration raises challenges distinct from those raised in other forms international dispute settlement, including complex questions of how to value assets and how to develop and position an arbitration practice in a highly competitive arbitration market. At the end of the five days, participants will be equipped with a unique background in the substantive, procedural and strategic aspects of bringing or defending an investment arbitration.
This five-day programme provides a high-level introduction to international investment law in the context of public international law and practice focusing on recent developments. It offers the opportunity to learn from Cambridge law and business school academics, as well as leading practitioners drawn from major law firms and barristers’ chambers. It is designed both for junior practitioners who are developing a practice in international investment law and for more senior lawyers who wish to re-orient themselves to investment arbitration. Participants will receive a certificate of participation on successful completion of the course.
Click here to download the course flyer.
Deadline for the next issue:5pm, 14th June 2018