Time for government to reconsider ‘justice cluster’ arrangements

12/12/2016

The president of the New South Wales Bar Association, Noel Hutley SC, and the president of the Law Society of New South Wales, Gary Ulman, have called upon the premier to review agency arrangements and administrative orders to reflect the independence of the attorney general as first law officer and her department.

Under the current "justice cluster" arrangements, the minister for justice and police has been the senior minister, which has either allowed or created the perception of police interests setting the priorities for criminal justice policy in this state.