Bernard Collaery & Land Titles

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HEARSAY 9.9.2020 Invisible Justice? While the former President of East Timor, Ramos Horta, would give hiscountry’s highest honour to our Law Society member Bernard Collaery, ourAustralian government continues Bernard’s prosecution in relation to ourAustralian government’s bugging of an East Timor government building in Dili.The charges under the National Services Act 2001 carry a maximum penalty […]

New CEO and new property rules

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This week we gave a warm welcome to our new Chief Executive Officer Simone Carton. Simone comes to us with over twenty years’ experience as a CEO, and also has a legal background which will serve her well in this new role. On the Conveyancing front, this month marks the start of the new rules […]

Elder Abuse

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Missed opportunities to address elder abuse While the Society certainly wants action to be taken on elder abuse, including financial abuse, it was with some alarm that we saw yesterday the introduction in the Legislative Assembly of flawed legislation to address the issue. The Crimes (Offences Against Vulnerable People) Legislation Amendment Bill 2020 introduces criminal […]

Mentoring and Blackburn Lecture

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26 July 2019 What can you do for your Law Society? Recently the very active and capable Young Lawyers Committee held their bi-annual mentoring event at which Peter Garrisson SC the ACT Solicitor-General spoke in rousing and interesting terms about the importance of having mentoring in early years, and his own early years as an […]

Voice to Parliament

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12 July 2019 It’s good to hear, in this NAIDOC week, that the Federal Government has finally decided to take seriously the wishes and aspirations of 250 Australian indigenous delegates who gathered at Uluru in May 2017 and made their “Statement from the Heart” — a plea to be recognised and heard. Their plea was […]

Law Council in Darwin – minimum age of criminal responsibility, and presentations by Olga Havnen, CEO Danila Dilba Health Service, and by Chief Justice of the NT Supreme Court, the Hon Michael Grant CJ – both focussing on children in detention

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28 June 2019 This quarter the Law Council of Australia (LCA) meetings were hosted by the Northern Territory Law Society in Darwin. At one of these meetings, a significant policy position was reached — that the minimum age for criminal responsibility should be 14 years, and the LCA would like that policy adopted by all […]

ACT  Freedom of Information Act 2016 removing rights to obtain information under the Children and Young People Act 2008

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14 June 2019 Last week the Legislative Assembly passed amendments to the Freedom of Information Act 2016 which removed some of the existing rights a person had to obtain “sensitive information” about themselves held by officials under the Children and Young People Act 2008. This was done despite representations made by the Society that such […]

ACT Freedom of Information Act 2016 removing rights to obtain information under the Children and Young People Act 2008

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31 May 2019 Recent correspondence from the ACT Government and the Greens Party state they are united in their intention to immediately remove some of the existing rights a person has to obtain “sensitive information” about themselves held by officials under the Children and Young People Act 2008 (C&YP Act). Under the Freedom of Information […]

Blackburn Lecture by retired magistrate Karen Fryar AM on “pro bono”, presentation by retired Chief Justice of the ACT Supreme Court, the Honourable Terence Higgins AO QC, on the workings of the PNG legal system, and the constitutional basis for the Manus Island case

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17 May 2019 This year Law Week was launched by the Attorney-General Gordon Ramsay MLA with some self-effacing humour and a very worthwhile reminder that we all work to protect the right to equal access to the legal system, and one of the “vital rights … we must uphold is the right to a coherent, […]

Petition against Motor Accidents Injuries Bill, passing of retired Chief Justice Jeffery Allan Miles AO, and Law Council meetings

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5 April 2019 The Barr Government is continuing on its ill-advised course with the introduction of the Motor Accident Injuries Bill 2019. The Law Society strongly opposes the proposed changes, which will leave Canberrans injured in road accidents much worse off. You can read our most recent media outline, setting out numerous areas of concern […]