Inbrief

Australia ratifies the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Last night, in New York, Australia ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. “Ratifying the convention clearly demonstrates the Rudd Government’s international...

Local Court Practice Note 4 of 2008: Forum Sentencing Programme

The Local Court has issued Practice Note No. 5 of 2008: Forum Sentencing Programme. The programme provides for the referral of offenders who have pleaded guilty or have been found guilty of offences...

Promoting rule of law in South Pacific rests on legal profession’s shoulders

The president of the Law Council, Ross Ray QC, has told the South Pacific Law Conference in Fiji that the legal profession has an obligation to defend the rule of law in the South Pacific. He told...

David Re appointed to the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina

David Re, of Frederick Jordan Chambers, has been appointed to the position of international judge on the Court of Bosnia and Herzegovina, that country's highest trial and appellate court.� Mr Re...

Seeking papers for a conference on "Judicial Reasoning: Art or Science ?"

The conference is being jointly presented by the ANU College of Law, the National Judicial College of Australia and the Australian Academy of Forensic Sciences. The conference will be held on...

Dan Howard SC awarded a Churchill Fellowship

Dan Howard SC has won a Churchill Fellowship to study forensic mental health systems in�the United States�and Canada. The Winston Churchill Memorial Trust, through its fellowships, provides...

Three rooms for licence on 3 Selborne

Counsel’s Chambers Limited has three rooms (approximately 20 sq.m in size) on 3 Selborne Chambers that are available for immediate licence until 30 November 2008. The monthly licence fee is...

Cases selected by V Kline for reporting in the Federal Court Reports

The following eleven cases will be published in a forthcoming volume of FCR:

Alphapharm Pty Ltd v H Lundbeck A/S�[2008] FCA 559� Lindgren J� Descriptors:�patents;...

Supreme Court practice note on use of technology

Chief Justice Spigelman AC issued an amended version of Practice Note SC Gen 7 (Use of Technology) on 9 July 2008.� The revised practice note **commences on Friday, 1 August 2008.� **This...

WYD transport changes begin to take effect

Traffic changes for World Youth Day began to take effect this morning with the implementation of a�special event clearway on College Street, outside St Marys Cathedral. Learn more>

For all the...

Applications for appointment as a costs assessor

Applications are sought from legal practitioners of at least five years post admission experience to be appointed as costs assessors for a period of up to three years commencing 1 January 2009. The...

Recent House of Lords decisions

The following�opinions of the lords of appeal are available on the House of Lords web site:

Common Services Agency (Appellants) v Scottish Information Commissioner (Respondent) (Scotland)�...

WLA celebrating women in the judiciary

The Women Lawyers Association of NSW invite all members of the Bar Association to join their distinguished guests�at the�Celebration of Women in the Judiciary, to be held�on Thursday,...

Report on ministerial intervention powers in immigration cases

The minister for immigration and citizenship, Senator Chris Evans today released an independent report into the appropriate use of ministerial intervention powers to make decisions in individual...

Bar News Winter 2008

The Winter 2008 edition of Bar News: The Journal of the New South Wales Bar Association�has been mailed to all members. This edition features the 2008 Maurice Byers Address, an interview with...

Bar Association office closure during World Youth Day celebrations

Due to preparations for World Youth Day and the visit by Pope Benedict XVI, the Bar Association's office and the Bar Library will be closed on Thursday, 17 July.�On Friday, 18 July working hours...

Adoption of Equitable Briefing Policy by the NSW Government

In June 2004 Bar Council formally adopted the Law Council's Model Equal Opportunity Briefing Policy for Female Barristers and Advocates, which draws upon a policy drafted by the Equal Opportunity...

PILCH invites you to a screening of Maxed Out

On 21 July the Public Interest Law Clearing House (PILCH) will host a screening of James D Scurlock's Maxed Out, _at Allens Arthur Robinson.�_Dubbed "the movie you can't afford to miss",...

National Archives set to promote 9 July as Constitution Day

The National Archives of Australia has designated 9 July as 'Constitution Day' to encourage�Austrlians to reflect on and celebrate the meaning and continuing importance of the...

Proposed amendments to the Bankruptcy Rules: call for comments

At a meeting of the Federal Court's Harmonised Bankruptcy Rules Monitoring Committee on 30 April, it was agreed that the Bankruptcy Rules be amended to remove the requirement to name a specific...

National security information: a guide for practitioners

The Commonwealth Attorney-General's�Department has released the _Practitioners' Guide to the National Security Information (Criminal and Civil Proceedings) Act 2004.�_It provides "a...

UK Government legislates to protect witness anonymity

The UK Government has introduced the Criminal Evidence (Witness Anonymity) Bill�to restore a trial judge's power to grant a witness anonymity order, after the House of Lords ruled that...

Second term Yoga programme starts tomorrow

****The next term will begin�tomorrow, Tuesday, 22 July with classes again being held at 7.15am in the Common Room. A 10 week term will cost $150.��Unfortunately, due to lack of...

Steven Woods appointed deputy solicitor-general of the Solomon Islands

Steven Woods of 13 Selborne Chambers has been appointed deputy solicitor-general for the Solomon Islands, effective 1 July 2008 to 30 June 2009.

7 July 2008

Public defender wins Terry Keaney Award

Ms Dina Yehia, a public defender, has�received the Terry Keaney Award for dedication to criminal defence work.

The award is�named in honour of the barrister, Terry Keaney, a member of...