Inbrief

Members may recall that last year in a submission to the Australian Human Rights Commission’s National Inquiry into Sexual Harassment, the Association raised concerns about lacunas in the Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW) and the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) in order that these laws could be strengthened in relation to legal workplaces.

The Association has also raised these concerns with the New South Wales Attorney General and will continue to advocate for legislative reform to address this important issue and ensure sexual harassment in any workplace is unlawful. Members will be kept informed of developments in this regard.

The Report is available here.

Members are advised that, although the Bar Association is regularly updating the COVID-19 page of its website as information comes to hand, please refer to the latest court resources directly as developments are changing quickly at this time. Do not make any assumptions regarding your case without first doing so. Links to the various court and tribunal pages are provided in the body of the guide.

Members are advised that, although the Bar Association is regularly updating the COVID-19 page of its website as information comes to hand, please refer to the latest court resources directly as developments are changing quickly at this time. Do not make any assumptions regarding your case without first doing so. Links to the various court and tribunal pages are provided in the body of the guide.

A panel of experts on science and law will be asked questions by The Hon Justice Virginia Bell of the High Court of Australia on the topic of scientific proof and legal proof.

The event will be conducted remotely. It is important for those wishing to attend to register for the event so that log-on details can be sent to them.

The flyer for the event is available here.

To register for the event visit Australian Academy of Law – Events By 14 August 2020.

Members are advised that, although the Bar Association is regularly updating the COVID-19 page of its website as information comes to hand, please refer to the latest court resources directly as developments are changing quickly at this time. Do not make any assumptions regarding your case without first doing so. Links to the various court and tribunal pages are provided in the body of the guide.

The Law Council of Australia has welcomed the appointment of Mr Grant Donaldson SC in a media statement released earlier today.

• The District Court of NSW's Guidance to lawyers appearing at District Court Readiness Hearings for criminal trials in Sydney (Downing Centre) and in circuit sittings, which includes Crown and Defence Readiness Hearing Case Management Forms; and

• Today’s announcement from the President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal regarding the staged resumption of some in-person hearings.

Members are advised that, although the Bar Association is regularly updating the COVID-19 page of its website as information comes to hand, please refer to the latest court resources directly as developments are changing quickly at this time. Do not make any assumptions regarding your case without first doing so. Links to the various court and tribunal pages are provided in the body of the guide.

It is intended that a memorial service will be held for Philip later in the year when public health restrictions allow. Members will be kept informed of developments in this regard.

The webinars will be held on 27th July and 10th, 17th and 24th August. The webinars cover the following discrete topics: Defamation Law, Automated Decision Making and Administrative Law, Automated Decision Making and Administrative Law and Automated Decision Making and Administrative Law.

Further information and registration details are available here

The Federal Court of Australia has today released Coronavirus (COVID-19) - Update 25, which also contains a joint Public Notice from the Federal Heads of Jurisdiction and a Statement from the Chief Justice of the Federal Court regarding sexual harassment policies and procedures.

Members are advised that, although the Bar Association is regularly updating the COVID-19 page of its website as information comes to hand, please refer to the latest court resources directly as developments are changing quickly at this time. Do not make any assumptions regarding your case without first doing so. Links to the various court and tribunal pages are provided in the body of the guide.

At the moment libraries are required to make sure that their books are sanitised to help prevent the spread of the virus. This requires time. All books must be quarantined for at least 24 hours (and up to 72 hours) before being re-loaned.

When all our COVID-19 measures are in place, we will re-open the library. However, the hours will be limited at first and the primary focus will be providing access to the electronic resources that are not available in chambers. We cannot provide access to the hard copy collection as the quarantining protocols also apply to any books which are used in the library. Every book that is touched / used has to be quarantined for at least 24 hours.

We have our ‘Click, Collect & Return service operating twice a week at the moment. When this service is operating smoothly, we will offer it 4 days a week. We have also now enabled reservations for Click&Collect to be made on your behalf by your clerk. You can put in requests to borrow books by logging onto the library website and follow these instructions.

The library is a place where a large number of people interact every day. However, it is a small space and even when we do reopen we will be limited in the number of visitors we have while there remains a risk of people contracting the virus. We have to consider the health of everyone in the library and work within the current guidelines. We will keep you posted regarding developments.

Applications close on 8 September 2020.

Scholarships will be awarded on the recommendation of an Advisory Committee appointed by the Law Council of Australia. The successful applicant will receive a scholarship to the value of $5,500 for the 2021 academic year, or, on a pro-rata basis an offer for periods of part-time study.

Members are advised in this regard that, although the Bar Association is regularly updating the COVID-19 page of its website as information comes to hand, please refer to the latest court resources directly as developments are changing quickly at this time. Do not make any assumptions regarding your case without first doing so. Links to the various court and tribunal pages are provided in the body of the guide.