Inbrief

Michael Kirby appointed honorary member of the Law Council of Australia

The Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG was made an honorary member of the Law Council of Australia on Friday, in recognition of his extraordinary contribution to law, academia and the community. Law Council...

Announcement regarding Practice Note SC Gen 14 - Freezing Orders

It has come to the Supreme Court's attention that a legislative reference in paragraph 9.1(b) of the form of freezing order annexed to Practice Note SC Gen 14 is now out of date.� The reference...

Fair Work ombudsman appoints legal panels

The Fair Work ombudsman has appointed one national and four regional panels.� Fair Work Ombudsman Chief Counsel Natalie James says the panels will be used for a broad range of litigation, advice...

AG takes aim at the billable hour

Attorney General Robert McClelland has address to the Law Council's 36th Australian Legal Convention in Perth. The attorney touched on issues such as national security and counter-terrorism...

Chief Justice French delivers The State of the Judicature Address

Chief Justice Robert French has delivered his address on The State of the Australian Judicature at the 36th Australian Legal Convention today, in Perth. The chief justice spoke about a conception of...

Legal profession well equipped to handle challenging times, says Law Council president

Law Council President John Corcoran has highlighted challenges facing the nation’s legal assistance sector. In his State of the Profession Speech to the 36th Australian Legal Convention, which...

Commonwealth AG considers a National Legal Services Board

Attorney-General Robert McClelland has criticised Australia's disparate and unwieldy regime for regulating the legal profession, with 55 different regulators and nearly 5,000 pages of legislation,...

Vale the Hon John Nagle AO QC

The Hon John Nagle AO QC, former chief judge of the Common Law Division of the Supreme Court, died yesterday, 16 September. A funeral service will be held at 11am on Tuesday, 22 September at Sacred...

Australian Government introduces new organised crime legislation

Attorney-General Robert McClelland has introduced into parliament the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Serious and Organised Crime) Bill (No. 2) 2009. The object of the Bill, as provided by the...

EPLA conference 2009 (ADVERTISEMENT)

The Environment and Planning Law Association (NSW) is holding its 21st annual conference at the Powerhouse Museum on **22-23 October 2009. **The speakers at the conference will be addressing issues...

New titles in the Bar Library

****The Bar Library has added the following 19 items to its collection.**

B15/DAR/2009** The old devil Clarence Darrow : the world's greatest trial lawyer / Donald McRae B34/KEV/2009 Baby barista...

Proposed reforms to Commonwealth child sex-related offences

The Commonwealth Attorney-General's Department has invited the public to comment on proposed reforms to child sexual exploitation laws. The public has until Friday, 23 October to comment on the...

Constitutional law seminar on the Pape case

The Australian Association of Constitutional Law (AACL) is holding its first (and its only public) seminar for the year 2009/2010 on the Pape case. The speakers are Dr David Bennett AC QC (Sydney...

Litigation involving foreign states

The Commonwealth Attorney General's Department has identified a number of instances in which litigation involving foreign states has not adhered to the provisions of the Foreign States Immunities Act...

Public forum on national security legislation takes place tomorrow

At the request of the Commonwealth Attorney-General’s Department, the New South Wales Bar Association and the Law Council of Australia are hosting a public forum on the National Security...

Victorian legal profession introduces Indigenous briefing policy

Victoria has become the first state in Australia to introduce an Indigenous briefing policy. In a media release issued jointly with the Law Institute, the Victorian Bar chairman John Digby QC said...

ACT Bar elects office holders for 2009-2010

The ACT Bar Association has announced the results of its election for the 2009-2010 Bar Council. The office holders are: Stuart Pilkington (president), Harriet Donohoe SC (vice-president), Lorraine...

Applications for arbitrators and mediators close this Friday

This is a final reminder that applications close this Friday, 25 September **for members wishing to become an accredited mediator as well as those who may wish for their name to be included on the...

Renovations at Queens Square and Court of Appeal lists of authorities

The president of the Court of Appeal has advised the Bar Association that the Supreme Court building will be undergoing renovations from late September 2009. The renovations will commence with Level...

Position vacant at Legal Aid NSW

Manage Legal Aid NSW’s Care and Protection practice to ensure that high quality legal advice and representation is provided to legally aided clients in care and protection matters and that the...

Government introduces interim military justice measures

The minister for defence, Senator John Faulkner, has introduced the Military Justice (Interim Measures) Bill (No. 1) 2009 and the _Military Justice (Interim Measures) Bill (No. 2) 2009 _to put in...

NSW Bar Football team beats the Vics 3-1

The New South Wales Bar Football Team has tightened its grip on the Suncorp Cup after a convincing 3-1 win over the Victorian Bar last Saturday. The team put in a gutsy and at times spirited...

Appointments to the AAT

Attorney-General Robert McClelland has announced seven part-time appointments to the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. Learn more >

**9 September 2009 **

Latest part of the NSWLR now online

NSWLR Volume 72, Part 5, is now available to online and print subscribers. For a list of cases in the part, and other NSWLR parts and volumes, go to www.nswlr.com.au/reports.

**9 September 2009 **

Bar Council business for July - August

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...