Inbrief

Changes to the Legal Aid NSW grants application process

From March 2009, barristers who receive direct assignments of legally aided matters will see the following changes:

• A new grants management system will replace the current Grants Online and the...

Review of the International Arbitration Act 1974

Attorney-General Robert McClelland has announced a review of the International Arbitration Act 1974, with a view to improving the�efficiency of the arbitral process.�The Attorney-General's...

Bar Association office bearers for 2010

At a Bar Council meeting on 19 November 2009, the following were elected as office bearers of the New South Wales Bar Association for 2010: President: Tom Bathurst QC Senior vice president: Bernie...

Attorney-General Robert McClelland releases report on improvements to federal courts

Attorney-General Robert McClelland today released Future Governance Options for Federal Family Law Courts in Australia - Striking the Right Balance, and an accompanying discussion paper on...

Victorian criminal lawyers threaten to withdraw from legal aid work

Law Institute of Victoria President Tony Burke has warned that the legal aid system is "on the verge of collapse"�and called for�fees to criminal lawyers�to be�increased. Learn...

Bar Council business for October

Matters reported elsewhere in In Brief are omitted from this summary of Bar Council business. Bar Council regularly considers requests by the attorney general, the courts and other agencies for...

Fees owed to counsel

Pursuant to s623(2) of the Legal Profession Act 2004 (NSW), the Law Society of New South Wales has appointed Kelly-Anne Stanford to manage the law practice of** R J Russell, Solicitors, Level 7, City...

Law Council launches its revamped web site

The Law Council has launched its new website. Apart from being given a new look, the revamped website is easier to navigate and features an improved search engine facility as well as audio and video...

Papers to note: effectiveness of the NSW Drug Court

The Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research has announced the results of its latest study into recidivism and the New South Wales Drug Court. The results show that although participants in the NSW...

Supreme Court Practice Note on audio-visual links

Supreme Court Practice Note SC Gen 15 (NSW) was gazetted on Friday, 14 November. The Practice Note, which�relates�to the use of audio-visual links in criminal and certain civil proceedings,...

Work2Suit Forum on flexible work practices

The Women Lawyers Association of NSW and the Law Society of NSW invite members to�hear Ann Sherry�AO, CEO of Carnival Australia, speak at�a�Work2Suit forum on 4 December at...

Reminder: Lord Thomas Bingham to speak on a Charter of Rights

Lord Thomas Bingham, former senior law lord of the United Kingdom, will deliver a lecture�entitled "The Role of a Charter of Rights in Promoting Dignity, Fairness and Good Government" in...

Victorian Bar voices concerns about legal aid funding

Chairman of the Victorian Bar Council, John Digby QC, has warned that the pool of specialist criminal barristers doing legal aid cases in Victoria has dropped dramatically over the last three years....

Queensland Bar announces 2008 senior counsel appointments

The president of the Bar Association of Queensland, Michael Stewart SC, said today that the chief justice, the Honourable Paul de Jersey AC, has selected�eight counsel for appointment as senior...

The New South Wales Bar Association Regional CPD Conferences 2009

Registrations are now open for The New South Wales Bar Association Regional CPD Conferences. Full attendance at a conference will attract 10 CPD points, covering the four strands required for the...

Reminder: entries for 2008 Great Bar Boat Race close on 5 December

The Great Bar Boat Race will now be held on Monday, 22 December 2008. The deadline for entries is Friday, 5 December. The starting line is in the vicinity of Shark Island, finishing at Store Beach....

Speeches to note: the inaugural Neville Wran Lecture, delivered by Kirby J

High Court judges should not linger on beyond their 'used by' date, according to the Hon Justice Michael Kirby, who delivered the inaugural Neville Wran Lecture last night.�In speaking about the...

Telephone conferences in the Common Law Division

Since March 2007, the Supreme Court has made a telephone conference service available in the Common Law Division for matters at the directions hearing stage. The court recommends this service to the...

Never assume that the microphone is off

The Queensland Government has legislated to prevent the misuse of courtroom recordings and transcripts made when cases are not being heard. In a media statement issued today, Attorney-General and...

Tomorrow: retirement ceremony for Windeyer J in the Banco Court

The retirement ceremony for the Hon Justice Windeyer of the Supreme Court will be held at 9.15am on 26 November�in the�Banco Court. Barristers should wear robes and wigs - but senior...

Surfabout 2008

The Australian Lawyers Surfing Association invites members of the bar to dust off their long boards in preparation for the 2008 Surfabout on 22 December at Queenscliff Manly.�ALSA has teamed up...

Recent House of Lords decisions

The following decisions of the lords of appeal�were handed down on 12 November and are available on the House of Lords web site:

In Re E (a child) (Ap) (Appellant) (Northern Ireland)... Read more >