Inbrief

The criminal jurisdiction of the Federal Court

The Australian Government has introduced�Bills to give the Federal Court indictable criminal jurisdiction and to�enable it�to conduct jury trials in cases of serious cartel conduct....

Legislation to note: Foreign Evidence Amendment Bill 2008

Attorney-General Robert McClelland has introduced into parliament the Foreign Evidence Amendment Bill 2008, the main purpose of which is to change the process for adducing business records obtained...

Position vacant: research associate at the Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law

An opening has become available for a research associate at the Gilbert + Tobin Centre of Public Law at the University of New South Wales. The successful applicant will be a member of a team working...

Legislation to note: Federal Justice System Amendment (Efficiency Measures) Bill

Attorney-General Robert McClelland today introduced legislation�which he claims will�assist judges to reduce the cost and length of trials for litigants. The�Federal Justice System...

Online survey of tax related issues

Members are encouraged to participate in the Market Solutions Legal Practitioner Services survey of tax related issues.�The object of the exercise is to collect data that would assist the Tax...

Webwatch: AustLII launches two new services

AustLII has announced the launch of two new services, which it has developed during 2008:

>> Free access to the English Reports, 1220-1873; and >> LawCite, a free access international citator.

The...

Papers to note: parliamentary committee report on the immigration detention system

The Australian Parliament's Joint Standing Committee on Migration has�published Immigration Detention in Australia: A New Beginning,�the first of three such�reports.

Under its terms...

Papers to note: Homicide in Australia

The International Homicide Conference begins tomorrow on the Gold Coast. Ahead of the conference, the Australian Institute of Criminology has released its 2006-2007 annual report for the National...

Law Council speaks out on NT intervention legislation

The Law Council has called on the Australian Government to reject a push to suspend the Racial Discrimination Act in the Northern Territory and urged it to honour its commitment to restore the permit...

Federal Court Amendment Rules 2008 (No 2)

The Federal Court Amendment Rules 2008 (No 2) were registered on the Federal Register of Legislative Instruments today,�1 December 2008.

The Amendment Rules make the following amendments to the...

Appointment to the Defence Force Appeal Tribunal

Attorney-General Robert McClelland today announced the appointment of the Hon Justice Margaret White, of the Queensland Supreme Court, as deputy president of the Defence Force Discipline Appeal...

Fees owed to counsel - Duncan Li

Pursuant to s623(2) of the Legal Profession Act 2004 (NSW), the Law Society of New South Wales has appointed Mr Con John Georgas to manage the law practice of** Duncan Li,** situated at Lower Ground...

Women Barristers Forum Annual General Meeting

The annual general meeting� of the Women Barristers Forum, a section of the NSW Bar Assocation, will be held on�2 December 2008 at 5.15 pm�in the Bar Association Common Room for the...

Speeches of a Chief Justice: James Spigelman 1998-2008

All members of the bar are cordially invited to the launch of a special edition volume of speeches of Chief Justice Spigelman AC to mark his tenth anniversary, on Wednesday, 10 December 2008 at...

Evidence Amendment Bill approved by the Senate

Attorney-General Robert McClelland today welcomed the passage through the parliament of the _Evidence Amendment Bill 2008, _describing it as�a "significant step towards the harmonisation of...

Recent House of Lords decisions

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

_Kay (Fc) V Commissioner of The Police of The Metropolis _[2008] UKHL 69��

R (On The...

Legislation to note: Crimes Amendment (Sexual Offences) Bill 2008

The Crimes Amendment (Sexual Offences) Bill 2008�was yesterday introduced in the Legislative Council by Attorney General Hatzistergos and has received�its second reading speech.�

The...

Appointment of acting magistrate

Mr John Anthony Bailey has been appointed as an acting magistrate and as a mining warden for the period commencing on 20 November 2008 and expiring on 30 June 2009.

27 November 2008

Victorian Bar's senior counsel appointments for 2008

The Victorian Bar announced its senior counsel appointments yesterday. They are, in order of precedence:

William Ross Middleton Philip Anthony Jewell John Paul Dickinson Craig Warwick...

Law Vacation: registrars' sitting arrangements

New South Wales Supreme Court registrar’ lists will operate as usual until 19 December 2008 and from 12 January 2009.

On 22 and 23 December 2008, registrars will sit at:

9.00am - combined...

Victorian barristers to hold a rally over legal aid funding

Victoria's barristers will be among the�criminal lawyers�to hold a public meeting�(before court, at 9.15am) on the forecourt of the County Court tomorrow to discuss increased legal aid...

Vexatious Proceedings Act to commence on 1 December

The Vexatious Proceedings Act 2008 (NSW) has been proclaimed to commence on 1** December 2008.** The objects, as provided in the explanatory notes to the Bill, are:

(a) to enact provisions (which...

Law Council awaits speedy release of Haneef report

The Law Council has welcomed indications made by Attorney-General Robert McClelland that the Australian Government will publicly release the findings of the Clarke Inquiry into the Haneef case before...

Cases selected for reporting in FCR by V Kline

The following cases will be published in a forthcoming volume of FCR: ����������� Harding v Deputy Commissioner of Taxation [2008] FCA 1403 ...

Practice Note SC Eq 2 (Admiralty List)

The Chief Justice, J J Spigelman AC, issued an amended version of Practice Note SC Eq 2 (Admiralty List) on 13 November 2008.� The revised Practice Note commenced operation on Friday, 21...