In Brief Issue #1108

On Tuesday morning, I met with Sir David Carruthers, the Implementation Monitor for the Lawyer X Royal Commission. The Bar has done a great deal of work arising from the Commission’s recommendations, but there are still a few matters of potential legislative reform in the wings that may affect us. We will continue to consult with the LIV and the State Government about those matters.

On Tuesday afternoon, I attended a board meeting of the Victorian Legal Service Board and Commissioner. It was my first meeting as a board member. I’m looking forward to learning about the organisation and contributing to its work.

On Wednesday morning, I spoke at the welcome ceremony for the Honourable Justice Ted Woodward at the Supreme Court. As you would expect, his Honour spoke very well and took the opportunity to outline some of his preliminary plans for VCAT. Justice Woodward will take up the role as President of the Tribunal on 1 July, and the Honourable Justice Michelle Quigley will then return to the trial division. I would like to thank Justice Quigley for all that her Honour did while at VCAT and, in particular, for steering it through the pandemic. Perhaps more than most other elements of the justice system, the pandemic affected the Tribunal very badly. That is not surprising given the volume and nature of its work and the limited resources it has available to it to perform that work. Her Honour has championed several projects, including a wide-ranging IT project, to help VCAT recover from the effects of the pandemic and increase access to justice for the community. We are very grateful for her Honour’s service as President.

The Junior Bar Conference is taking place today. Attendees will gain insights and valuable knowledge from leading silks. There will also be two law librarians in the Richard Griffith Library all afternoon, answering questions about the library and explaining the resources that are available 24/7. They are the same resources as those available to the judiciary. They can also check to see if you are registered with a library website account. There will be information about webinars, and our onsite research support hours, plus free tote bags with promotional and instructional material. I’ll be introducing Victoria’s Attorney General, the Hon. Jaclyn Symes MP, as keynote speaker at the Conference. I look forward to seeing you there and at the post-conference networking session at the Essoign. The conference is being sponsored by LegalSuper, LexisNexis, Legal Home Loans and Hnry (which offers an accounting and tax tool for sole traders).

Later today I’ll be welcoming students from within the Hume City Council region who are the recipients of the Victorian Bar Foundation’s Student Achievement Awards. The Foundation helps students get a better understanding of the law and how it works. It is targeted at students who ordinarily wouldn’t be exposed to the law. This youth recognition award for academic achievement in Legal Studies offers a high school student scholarship and mentoring program under which $1,500 ($1000 from the Foundation and $500 from the City of Hume) is allocated to student prize winners from 15 schools in the City of Hume. My thanks to the Honourable John Digby KC (Chair of the Foundation) and the Honourable Justice Michelle Gordon AC (Patron of the Foundation) for their continuing support of this important and very effective program.

Finally, I will be attending a dinner tonight at the West Brighton Club. Each year the club conducts a dinner to celebrate the legal profession with guests drawn from all parts of the profession. I’m looking forward to it and thank Timothy Lefebvre (President of the club) and the Honourable Justice Joshua Wilson (Convenor of the night) for the invitation.

Next week
On Tuesday evening, I will be attending a function to mark the end of Justice Quigley’s term as President of VCAT. Her Honour has been in the role for 5 years.

On Wednesday morning next week, I will be speaking at the welcome ceremony for the Honourable Justice Emilios Kyrou AO. His Honour commenced as a judge of the Federal Court and President of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal in June. His Honour made an outstanding contribution to the Supreme Court and the Court of Appeal. We wish his Honour all the best as he moves to the federal jurisdiction.

On Wednesday evening next week, we are hosting a dinner to celebrate the appointment of the Honourable Mark Dreyfus KC, MP as Commonwealth Attorney General. There are just a few tickets left, which you can purchase here.

Some reminders
The winter vacation is upon us. If you are heading overseas, please contact the BCL service staff to ensure that you can access your email while you are away. Also, please make sure to agree to the new terms and conditions by 30 June.

A final reminder to renew your practising certificate by 30 June 2023, which is next Friday. If you don’t renew by that date, you will need to apply for a new practising certificate to practise from 1 July 2023 onwards; until your new practising certificate has been issued, you won’t be able to practise. Applying for a new practising certificate between 1 July and 30 September results in a 200% surcharge on the practising certificate fee.

It’s also a very good idea to take out top-up cover with Affinity Risk by next Friday. The LPLC policy has a costs inclusive policy limit. That means that the defence costs that are incurred in responding to a claim erode the cover provided. In a large claim, that can make a real difference to insureds. And that is so even if your liability is limited under Professional Standards Legislation. You should also note that the LPLC policy does not cover the defence costs of most disciplinary proceedings, whereas the Affinity Risk policy does. In recent years, some members have suffered financially because of the gaps in the LPLC coverage. Finally, those contemplating retirement in the next year should consider the potential benefits of the runoff cover provided by top-up insurance.

The ABA’s upcoming Cornerstone 2023: The Rule of Law conference will be held at the recently opened Langham Hotel on the Gold Coast between 21-23 September (a bye week in the footy finals; it’s the weekend before the Grand Final). I’ll be there, and I’m hoping to see many VicBar members there as well. The Filipino Australian Lawyers Association (FALAW) will launch on Wednesday, 5 July 2023 between 5:30 - 7:30pm at the offices of the Philippine Consulate-General in Victoria. You can RSVP for the event here.

The week of 2-9 July is NAIDOC Week: For Our Elders. This will be an opportunity to celebrate and recognise the history, culture, and achievements of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples. The Bar continues to provide educational and information pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander law students studying in Victorian universities, and put considerable effort into attracting and retaining Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander barristers through multiple initiatives.

Finally, there was a technical glitch with the links to the letter I received from the Aboriginal Legal Service of Western Australia (which can be found here) and the information about the John Middleton Scholarship (which can be found here).

If you are taking a break, I hope you enjoy it.

Sam Hay KC