Inbrief

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...

Quarterly crime statistics either steady or trending down: BOCSAR

The latest quarterly crime report released by the New South Wales Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research shows that, over the 24 months to June 2009, one of the 17 major offences showed a...

Galileo Personal Training: introductory offer for barristers (ADVERTISEMENT)

Galileo Personal Training is a small and friendly health and fitness studio conveniently located on Elizabeth Street. As a special introductory offer to all members of the New South Wales Bar...

LCA supports independent monitor of anti-terror laws

The Law Council has welcomed the release of a Senate report which supports its calls for an independent person to review the nation’s anti-terror laws. The report, released yesterday by the...

Bulletproof your securities using the Personal Property Securities Act (ADVERTISEMENT)

LexisNexis Professional Development would like to invite members of the Bar Association to attend the upcoming Personal Property Securities Act workshop day. Co-presented by Robert Patch, Principal...

Unelected judges do not cause a democratic deficit: French CJ

Chief Justice Robert French has delivered a speech on "The Common Law and the Protection of Human Rights" at a breakfast function of the Anglo-Australasian Lawyers Society today, 4 September 2009. In...

New District Court Practice Note to commence on Monday

The chief judge of the District Court, the Hon Justice R O Blanch AM, has issued Practice Note DC (Civil) No.1 Case Management in the General List. Issued under sections 56 and 57 of the Civil...

Book launch: Bench Book For Children Giving Evidence in Australian Courts

The Australian Institute of Judicial Administration (AIJA) invites members to attend the official launch on Wednesday, 7 October 2009 at 5.30pm of the _Bench Book for Children Giving Evidence in...

Papers to note: An Evaluation of the NSW Court Liaison Services

The Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research has released a report which found that the State-wide Community and Court Liaison Service (SCCLS) reduces the frequency with which people with a mental...

Government strengthens law on DNA samples from child sex offenders

The minister for police, the Hon Tony Kelly, has introduced legislation that will empower police to forcibly override the objections of any person on the Child Protection Register who has refused to...

Letter to the editor of the Sydney Morning Herald

**The following is a letter to the editor of the Sydney Morning Herald from President Anna Katzmann SC, in response to yesterday's opinion piece by Bob Carr, "As you give Della a kick, remember his...

Book launch: A Social History of Company Law

Chief Justice JJ Spigelman AC will officially launch _A Social History of Company Law: Great Britain and the Australian Colonies 1854-1920. _The launch will be held **in the Banco Court, Queens...

Courts given greater say in sentences on appeal

The New South Wales Government has introduced the Crimes (Appeal and Review) Amendment (Double Jeopardy) Bill 2009, which will withdraw the principle of 'double jeopardy' as it applies to sentencing...

Appointment of commissioner at the Land and Environment Court

Attorney General John Hatzistergos has announced the appointment of Judy Fakes as a commissioner of the Land and Environment Court. Ms Fakes has been an Acting Commissioner of the court since early...

Today is Indigenous Literacy Day

Today is Indigenous Literacy Day, the major fundraising project of the Indigenous Literacy Project.� The aim is to raise urgently needed funds to address the literacy crisis in remote Indigenous...

The Hal Wootten Lecture 2009

The 2009 Hal Wootten Lecture will be delivered by Pakistani human rights lawyer Hina Jilani on **17 September 2009 at 6.15pm at the Law Theatre, UNSW. **The topic will be "Human Rights and...

ABA condemns latest attack on the rule of law in Fiji

The president of the Australian Bar Association, Mr Tom Bathurst QC, has condemned moves by the military government in Fiji to terminate the appeal in Bainimarama v Qarase, in which the Court of...

LCA submission on Commonwealth serious and organised crime legislation

The Law Council of Australia has released its submission to the inquiry by the Senate Committee on Legal and Constitutional Affairs into the provisions of the _Crimes Legislation Amendment (Serious...

High Court sittings in 2010

The High Court has released its calendar of sittings for 2010. Learn more>

**31 August 2009 **

Final Cheap and Quick Bench and Bar Lunch for the year

The final Bench and Bar Lunch for 2009 will be held at 1 pm on 29 September 2009 at the Hyde Park Barracks, Macquarie Street. A selection of main courses will be offered with tea or coffee for just...

New members of the Bar Association

At a meeting of Bar Council on 13 August, the persons listed below were accepted as members of the New South Wales Bar Association.

Michael Kirby appointed editor of the Laws of Australia

Thomson Reuters Australia has announced that the Hon Michael Kirby AC CMG, former justice of the High Court of Australia, has been appointed editor in chief of The Laws of Australia. Learn more >

Another enjoyable night at the movies: Witness for the Prosecution

Why not unwind and leave behind the stress of a week in court? The Bar Association will screen _Witness for the Prosecution _the 1957 courtroom drama based on a short story by Agatha Christie.

The...

Reminder: LC inquiry into decision making for people lacking capacity

The Legislative Council's Standing Committee on Social Issues is inquiring into provisions for substitute decision-making for people lacking capacity, and in particular whether any state legislation...

NSW Women Lawyers Achievement Awards Gala Dinner

The NSW Women Lawyers Achievement Awards Gala Dinner will be held on** Friday, 25 September **at the WatersEdge, Sydney. The keynote speaker for the Awards Gala Dinner will be the Hon Justice...