Inbrief

Reminder: 2007 silks presentation ceremony, tonight

Newly appointed senior counsel will be presented with their appointment scrolls tonight at 5.00pm in the Bar Association’s Common Room, with the scrolls being presented by Chief Justice...

Speeches to note: Consensus and Dissent in Australia, by the Hon Justice Michael Kirby AC CMG

On Wednesday, 10 October 2007, Justice Kirby delivered the 10th Annual Hawke Lecture at Adelaide Town Hall. The speech was entitled "Consensus and Dissent in Australia".�This morning,�Radio...

Tonight: Women Barristers Forum cocktail evening

Women Barristers Forum�invite you to a cocktail evening to celebrate the appointment of Margaret Cunneen SC and Sophie Goddard SC. Where: the moonshadow grill, Lobby level, MLC Centre, Martin...

Papers to note: Justice in Conflict? The International Criminal Court and Peace Processes in Africa

The International Criminal Court is now investigating or prosecuting individuals involved in three of the most devastating conflicts in Africa – Darfur, northern Uganda and the Democratic...

Speeches to note: Preventing Mass Atrocities , by Gareth Evans

Is state sovereignty is a license to kill, or can military intervention be a legitimate response when a state fails in its "responsibility to protect" citizens from�mass atrocities? This speech...

New Bar Quality Advisory Panel formed

The Bar Council of England and Wales has announced the formation of�a new advisory panel to help "maintain the Bar's reputation for excellence in legal advice and representation".

The Bar...

New Supreme Court policy on release of statistics, data & information

The chief justice of the NSW Supreme Court, the Hon JJ Spigelman AC, has released a�policy setting out how the court deals with requests for statistical information and the limitations on the...

District Court Practice Note 7: Management of Country Circuit Lists

The chief judge of the District Court, the Hon Justice RO Blanch, has issued a practice note, which sets a�state-wide standard of four weeks for the prosecution to file an indictment. The court...

Greg Keating appointed to the District Court

Mr Gregory Michael Keating, solicitor,�has been appointed as a judge of the District Court of New South Wales, effective 5 November 2007. Details of the swearing in ceremony will be announced...

American Bar Association: It

The president of the American Bar Association, William Neukom,�has urged Congress to override the US Justice Department’s torture memos�and a July 2007 White House executive order that...

A notice from the Federal Magistrates Court

The Federal Magistrates Court has issued a notice to practitioners setting out the expectations and requirements of practitioners and parties in respect of the first court date in general law (non-...

Review of the role of the CDPP in the Dr Haneef case

A review of the role of the Office of The Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions in the Dr�Haneef case has been completed. The review confirmed the position outlined in the media release...

Updated ASIO guidelines

On Friday, 12 October, the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) was issued with new guidelines by Attorney-General Philip Ruddock relating to the organisation's functions of obtaining...

Key issues in the upcoming federal election

Legal aid funding, client legal privilege, same sex marriages and a Bill of Rights are just a few of the major issues the Law Council of Australia has invited political parties to address in the...

Reminder: 2007 Forbes Lecture

The Francis Forbes Society for Australian Legal History invites all members of the Bar to attend its annual lecture, to be held tomorrow,** 8�November 2007�at 5pm** in the Bar Association...

Law Council policy statement on the death penalty

The Law Council's policy on capital punishment is now available from its web site, www.lawcouncil.asn.au

The policy states, among other things, that "It is the position of the Law Council that no...

Speeches to note: "Throwing Stones", by the Hon Justice Keith Mason, 6 October 2007

This speech, delivered by the Hon Justice Keith Mason at the Judicial Conference of Australia,�"explores the motivation of studied harshness, when it is legitimate, and its impact upon the...

Federal Court (Corporations) Amendment Rules 2007 (No 2)

The Federal Court (Corporations) Amendment Rules 2007 (No 2) will commence on 16 October 2007. A copy of the Amendment Rules will be available from the ComLaw site at http://www.comlaw.gov.au/.

The...

Bar Brief: the newsletter of the New South Wales Bar Association

Bar Brief No.143 (October 2007) is now available online. This issue includes: an update on the association's efforts to fight mental illness at the Bar; an Indigenous law student from UTS gives his...

Today: Practising at the New Zealand Bar

We are privileged to welcome the president of the New Zealand Bar Association, Jim Farmer QC, to present this CPD seminar on practice at the New Zealand Bar. The president of the NSW Bar Association,...

On the tube: Lex Lasry QC discusses capital punishment on ABC TV

On Wednesday, 10 October 2007, Lateline featured an interview with Lex Lasry QC regarding the need for the Australian Government to hold a consistent policy towards capital punishment, particularly...

Local Court sitting arrangements during the Christmas-New Year period

In accordance with the fixed leave period for magistrates, normal rostered sittings of the Local Court will cease on Friday, 21 December 2007 and recommence on Monday,�7 January 2008. The...

Attorney General’s Department moving to Parramatta

The Attorney General’s Department of NSW is set to move next month�to its new corporate headquarters at the Parramatta Justice Precinct.

“By relocating to this state-of-the-art...

Reminder: hearings in the Federal Magistrates Court have moved

As of Tuesday, 2 October 2007,�general federal law hearings in the Federal Magistrates Court have been relocated from Queens Square to John Maddison Tower, 88 Goulburn Street. All enquiries and...

Position available: Office of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, Sydney Office

**(Package in the range of $250,000 per annum)

**Expressions of interest are sought from highly motivated and suitably qualified legal practitioners for the position of in-house counsel to be...