Bar Council business for April

07/05/2009

Governance

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 advice on proposed legislation. Because that advice is sought on a confidential basis, it is not noted in this summary. Any member interested in a particular matter should contact the executive director for further information.

Rachel Pepper The Bar Council congratulated Pepper on her appointment as a judge of the Land and Environment Court as of 1 May 2009. President’s report Chambers visits The president advised that she was continuing with her program of chambers visits with the executive director and Penny Johnston, director care and assistance. � CPD mini conferences The president and the executive director had spoken at the Parramatta (7 March), Orange (21 March) and Sydney (28 March) CPD mini conferences.� The president had also attended the mini-conference held in Ballina (14 March). 2008 silk appointment process On 17 March the president had met with the members of the 2008 Senior Counsel Appointment Committee for a discussion about changes that might be made to the process in 2009. Retirement of Justice Brian Tamberlin of the Federal Court of Australia On 27 March the president had spoken at the farewell ceremony for Justice Tamberlin. CPD seminar on the NSW Court of Appeal The president advised that she had chaired the CPD seminar on Wednesday 4 March at which the Hon Justice JLB Allsop and the Hon Justice MJ Beazley had spoken about the court’s procedures. The seminar dealt with practical aspects of following the Rules and Practice Note, in particular the role of oral address in the context of written submissions. Executive director’s report The executive director advised that he, as the Bar Association’s alternate director, had attended the meeting of the directors of the Law Council of Australia in Canberra on 14 March.� He spoke of the election of two new members of the LCA Executive and the proposed professional indemnity insurance ‘national standards’. The draft minutes of the directors’ meeting will be provided to all bar councillors as soon as they are available. Depression and the bar The president again outlined the role of Penny Johnston, the director, care and assistance.� She advised that Ms Johnston was reviewing the way in which the Bar Association dealt with depression and mental illness at the bar to determine if any changes in the procedures might be necessary. The president advised that she had recently accepted an appointment as a director of the Tristan Jepson Memorial Foundation. � **7 May 2009 **