Inbrief

Invitation - See the lights of Vivid Sydney on board the Mari Nawi

All members and their guests are invited to join the Trustees of the Indigenous Barristers’ Trust for a fabulous evening celebrating Indigenous culture while taking in the lights of Vivid Sydney on...

Volunteer needed for the Benjamin Andrew Footpath Library

Philanthropy

The Benjamin Andrew Footpath Library needs a volunteer from the New South Wales Bar to spend a couple of hours packing books for various hostels in New South Wales at the library's...

Book launch of Key Issues in Judicial Review

Members are invited to the launch of Key Issues in Judicial Review. Edited by Neil Williams SC and published by The Federation Press, the book is a collection of papers from the recent Constitutional...

An invitation to the women of the NSW Bar

Diversity

Women barristers are warmly invited to a forum, to be held on Saturday, 5 April 2014 between 9.00am and 1.30pm in the Bar Common Room. Come and discuss ways we can continue to advance...

Hiring chamber staff through Jobsupport

The Bar Council of the New South Wales Bar Association encourages its members to consider hiring administrative staff through Jobsupport, an employment organisation that places, trains and maintains...

Media watch: Odgers SC interview with Clive Robertson

Advocacy

Stephen Odgers SC was interviewed on the Clive Robertson Program on 2UE last night regarding mandatory sentencing. A transcript is available in the Bar Library.

#Advocacy

High Court recognises change of sex to "non-specific"

This morning the High Court handed down its decision in NSW Registrar of Births, Deaths and Marriages v Norrie. The court held that the Births, Deaths and Marriages Registration Act 1995 (NSW) does...

On the spot fines are on the rise

Attorney General Greg Smith SC has announced that Criminal Infringement Notices for offensive language and offensive behaviour have risen to $500, while continued intoxicated and disorderly behaviour...

Legal Aid News for April

Legal Aid News for April 2014 is out now, featuring articles on the Children's Legal Representation Conference; new NDIS services from Legal Aid NSW; community legal education and resources; news for...

Papers from the chief justice's sentencing symposium

Since the opening of Law Term, Chief Justice Bathurst has chaired symposiums for members of parliament and the media, to help increase their understanding of judicial decision making when sentencing....

Bar FC begins its 2014 DSL campaign

NSW Bar FC starts its 2014 Domain Soccer League (DSL) campaign on Thursday, 17 April 2014 when it meets Corrs at 1.15 pm. Coach, David (Sir Alex) Stanton will be running two training sessions from...

ICJ decision on whaling in the Antarctic

The International Court of Justice yesterday handed down its decision on whaling in the Antarctic (Australia v. Japan: New Zealand intervening). By 12 votes to four, the ICJ ruled that Japan should...

SMH opinion piece on mandatory sentencing

The chair of the Bar Association's Criminal Law Committee, Stephen Odgers SC, wrote an op-ed article for today's Sydney Morning Herald, entitled "Mandatory sentencing creates a risk of excessive...

Direct access - Rule 24B disclosure

Rule 24B of the New South Wales Barristers’ Rules requires a barrister who accepts instructions on a direct access basis to provide the client with a written disclosure. The Bar Association has...

Bar Council business for March

Governance

Bar Council met on 6 March 2014 in the boardroom of the New South Wales Bar Association. Matters reported elsewhere in In Brief are omitted from this summary of Bar Council business. Bar...

Invitation - See the lights of Vivid Sydney on board the Mari Nawi

All members and their guests are invited to join the Trustees of the Indigenous Barristers’ Trust for a fabulous evening celebrating Indigenous culture while taking in the lights of Vivid Sydney on...

TONIGHT: The Role of the Prosecutor: Cruel but Fair

Tonight's seminar marks the end of the current CPD year. The seminar will be presented by the Hon Greg James AM QC and chaired by Alexander Street SC. As usual, the session will be held in the Bar...

CPD Online

The CPD year ends this evening. If you are missing a CPD point (or two) then CPD online can assist. Many Bar Association seminars from 2011 onwards are online. If the seminar was accompanied by a...

Life membership for the Hon Justice Virginia Bell AC

Collegiality

At its meeting on 27 March 2014 the Bar Council resolved to offer life membership of the New South Wales Bar Association to the Hon Justice Virginia Bell AC in recognition of her...

City Houses Squash Competition

The Bar Association would like to invite members to participate in the City Houses Squash Competition 2014. This is an annual competition held from May to September, with business and government...

Book launch of Key Issues in Judicial Review

Wellbeing

Members are invited to the launch of Key Issues in Judicial Review. Edited by Neil Williams SC and published by The Federation Press, the book is a collection of papers from the recent...

Uniform national legal profession bill introduced into the Legislative Assembly

The New South Wales Government has introduced into parliament the Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Bill 2014, the objects of which are to repeal the Legal Profession Act 2004,apply the...

Julian Martin (1949-2014)

Vale

Julian Martin, from 4th Floor Wentworth Chambers, died today. Members will be advised of funeral arrangements as soon as they are known.

NSW Opposition won't support legislation for QC appointments

Shadow Attorney General Paul Lynch yesterday announced that the Opposition will not support legislative change to allow senior barristers in NSW to be appointed as a QC. He said: “The conferral of...

Uniform national legal profession bill introduced into the Legislative Assembly

The New South Wales Government has introduced a bill to apply the Legal Profession Uniform Law and to repeal the Legal Profession Act 2004. Copies of the bill and the minister's second reading speech...