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In Brief Issue #1122
28Sep
It being a short week, there were only a few things on the agenda. We held a special purpose Bar Council meeting on Tuesday afternoon and then I spoke at the Hon. Justice John Dixon’s farewell yesterday afternoon. Along with the Victorian Solicitor-General, Rowena Orr KC, and the President of the LIV, Tania Wolff, I thanked his Honour for his long and distinguished service on the Supreme Court. In reply, his Honour described how much he had enjoyed his time as a judge and gave a glimpse of what he plans to do in retirement. It was a very nice occasion and a fitting tribute to his Honour. On behalf of the Bar, I wish him well.
On Monday next week, I will be speaking at the Hon. Justice Ian Waller’s welcome at 9:15am in the Banco Court. Members are invited to attend robed, but without wigs. Please come along if you can.
On Wednesday next week, there will be an official launch for Poppy the Court Dog at the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia. Poppy will provide comfort for families and witnesses during difficult times. The Victorian Bar Foundation is proud to be a sponsor of the initiative.
We will shortly be launching the 2023 State of the Bar survey and I invite all members to participate. It has been five years since we conducted the last survey. To help us properly tailor services for members, we ask that you fill the survey out when it opens. The data we collect will enable us to understand the current demographics, wellbeing and practices of our membership. You will be sent an email with a link to the survey next week. All participants will receive a voucher for a free coffee from the Essoign’s Owen Dixon Chambers coffee cart. Those who choose to submit their name will also go into the prize draw for a $500 voucher to be spent at the Essoign. If you have any questions about the survey, please contact Amanda Utt: ed@vicbar.com.au
We have received a request from the Law Society in Tonga (and from Tonga’s Director of Public Prosecutions, James Lutui) for donations of wigs and gowns for lawyers in Tonga. Some lawyers from Tonga were present at August’s Pasefika Lawyers Collective conference and, having seen the VicBar kit donated to Samoa, they were very keen to be considered as future recipients. If you have any wigs or gowns you can donate, please contact Miranda Tulloch at the Bar Office via email: miranda.tulloch@vicbar.com.au
Our Coffee with Silks series is returning for 2023. Places are still available for the Public/Administrative Law, Tax Law, Industrial Law & Commercial Law session on Wednesday 25 October from 8:00am to 8:45am, and the Family Law, Migration Law, Compensation Law & Common Law session on Thursday, 26 October from 8:00am – 8:45am. RSVPs close on Monday, 16 October.
The Annual General Meetings of the Victorian Bar Inc, and of the Barristers’ Benevolent Foundation of Victoria Ltd, will be held at 5:00pm on Monday, 23 October 2023 in the Neil McPhee Room. Members will be sent an invitation containing the agenda for each meeting and a link to register their attendance. Registrations close at 4:30pm on Monday, 23 October 2023.
A quick reminder that Cath Devine recently completed a book, A Practical Guide to Child Support, and will be hosting an event to launch it on Friday, 6 October 2023 in the Essoign Club. It starts at 4:30pm and tickets are available from the Eventbrite site or Cath’s website.
Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoy tomorrow’s public holiday and the Grand Final on Saturday.
Sam Hay KC
The Annual General Meetings of the Victorian Bar Inc and Barristers’ Benevolent Foundation of Victoria Ltd will be held on Monday, 23 October 2023, at 5:00pm in the Neil McPhee Room. Members will be sent an invitation containing the agenda for each meeting and a link to register their attendance. Registrations close at 4:30pm on Monday, 23 October 2023.
Federal Court of Australia
A ceremonial sitting of the Full Court of the Federal Court of Australia will be held to mark the appointment of the Honourable Justice Christopher Horan as a judge of the Federal Court of Australia in Court 1, Level 8, Federal Court of Australia, Owen Dixon Commonwealth Law Courts Building, 305 William Street, Melbourne, on:
Friday, 20 October 2023 at 9:30am
To attend in-person, please RSVP by email to Ms Dimitra Argyros - dimitra.argyros@fedcourt.gov.au. Closing date for RSVP is Friday, 6 October 2023.
Seating will be arranged in Court 1 or another Court for viewing via video link.
Supreme Court of Victoria
A welcome ceremony to mark the appointment of the Honourable Justice Ian Waller as a judge of the Supreme Court of Victoria will be held in the Banco Court, Supreme Court of Victoria, 210 William Street, Melbourne on:
Monday, 2 October 2023 at 9:15am
All counsel who are able to do so are asked to attend, robed (wigs are not worn in the Supreme Court).
County Court of Victoria
A welcome ceremony to mark the appointment of her Honour Judge Suzanne Kirton as a judge of the County Court of Victoria will be held in Court 3-3, County Court of Victoria, 250 William Street, Melbourne on:
Thursday, 12 October 2023 at 9:15am
All counsel who are able to do so are asked to attend, robed (wigs are not worn in the County Court for welcome ceremonies).
Members who have yet to pay their subscription fees are reminded that they are now significantly overdue and should be paid as soon as possible. Bar subscriptions are an integral component of a barrister’s ability to practice. If you have not made arrangements to pay your subscription fees, please do so. Should you require assistance on this or other administrative matters, the Victorian Bar office can help you. Members who need assistance should email membership@vicbar.com.au or contact Mark Bryant on (03) 9225 7111.
The New Barristers' Committee Coffee with Silks series is returning for 2023. Held on three consecutive days at the Essoign Club, it’s an opportunity for new barristers to meet and engage with Silks in a relaxed, social setting. It’s informative, and it’s free!
8:00 – 8:45am Tuesday, 24 October: Criminal Law
8:00 – 8:45am Wednesday, 25 October: Public/Administrative Law, Tax Law, Industrial Law & Commercial Law
8:00 – 8:45am Thursday, 26 October: Family Law, Migration Law, Compensation Law & Common Law
RSVP by Monday, 16 October.
The Victorian Bar News Editorial Committee is calling for contributions for the 2023 Summer edition (No. 174).
The VBN is the Bar’s twice-yearly magazine. While content is curated by the editorial committee it is driven by the Bar’s members and friends, so please let the stories, photographs and Verbatim contributions flow! The content deadline for the upcoming edition is 14 October 2023.
Contributions (and any related questions) should be directed to vbneditors@vicbar.com.au.
Victorian Bar News Editorial Committee
The Law Institute of Victoria and the Victorian Bar New Barristers’ Committee invite all barristers of up to 6 years' call and solicitors of 1-6 years' PQE to this unique and vibrant social event on Friday, 13 October.
Our special guest, the Honourable Justice Maree Kennedy will open the evening, sharing her Honour’s reflections on the importance of building professional relationships early in your career. Enjoy drinks and dinner for a night of brain-teasing riddles, laughter, and friendly competition as you mingle with fellow legal professionals.
Tickets are $50 each and include canapes and main course, click here to register.
Mediation is an essential part of the justice system with a great many litigated matters being referred to mediation. Barristers and law professionals wishing to become an accredited mediator under the National Mediator Accreditation System can register for the Lawyers Mediation Certificate (LMC) six-day course (on 24-26 November & 1-3 December 2023) here. Early Bird discounts apply, but places are limited.
- How to get in touch with the BCL Service Desk: Your single point of contact for all BCL services. Click here for more information on what we can help with during and after hours.
- Individual applications now open for part level 11, Aickin Chambers. This rare opportunity is open to all barristers, visit the Vacant Chambers page on the BCL website to view and apply for all available rooms.
- Why Take Chambers with BCL? As a wholly owned subsidiary of the Victorian Bar, BCL provides a flexible and unique solution of chamber and technology support only available to members of the Bar. Click here to view our current vacancies.
The following are highlights of upcoming CPD and events for Victorian Bar members. You must be a member of the Victorian Bar and logged into the VicBar website to view these events.
- A labyrinth of legal risks for hopeful would-be parents: Navigating Australia's complex Assisted Reproductive Technology regimes is on 19 October 2023 from 5:15pm-6:15pm. This session will provide an overview of the current body of law and regulation, survey landmark cases including a High Court decision on who is a parent (Masson v Parsons (2019) 266 CLR 554) and feature a surrogacy case study highlighting risks barristers need to be aware of to adequately advise same sex clients. This is an online only event. Click here to RSVP.
For more upcoming CPD events, please visit our listings here.
Hilton Melbourne Little Queen Street is offering Bar members an exclusive discount on meals purchased at their restaurant, Luci.
This exclusive discount of 15% is available by clicking the link here.
Use the code VICBAR23 to get a 15% off when dining in.
T&C's apply. Discounts are not to be used in conjunction with any other offer. Percentage off is valid for a maximum discount of $150 per bill. Blackout dates apply.
Offer is valid until 31 December 2023.
The Annual Hockey Match between Vicbar and the Law Institute of Victoria has been scheduled for Thursday, 5 October at 6:00pm.
We hope that you can come along on the evening and be part of the team.
Please lock in this date and let Natasha know your availability.
Barrister, mediator, and arbitrator Cath Devine has recently completed her book, Devine’s Guide, A Practical Guide to Child Support and will be hosting its launch at the Essoign Club from 4:30pm to 6:00pm on Friday, 6 October.
Designed to help legal practitioners navigate the challenging maze of child support legislation, the book is written in a user-friendly style which includes clear references to relevant case law, decisions, and precedents.
The foreword was written by his Honour Justice Grant Riethmuller (FCFCOA Division One) and is available to read here.
Tickets to the event are available here, or through Cath’s website here.
The Essoign now has a coffee cart open on the ground floor of Owen Dixon West.
Available daily from 7:30am is tea, coffee and a selection of sweets and pastries.
Ask about our VIP coffee cards at the cart.
Click here to view the flyer.
Victorian Bar members are encouraged to use the Member Benefits online portal, where you can access a wide variety of discounts, special offers, and member-only deals as part of your Bar membership.
The exclusive benefits are available Australia-wide and are not generally open to the public.
To activate your account and access the benefits, please click here. You must log in using your vicbar.com.au login details.
Click here to access the monthly Best Buys!
The Children’s Court of Victoria is implementing a new online case management system for child protection proceedings.
How you interact with the court is going to change. You will use the CMS Portal to file documents electronically, access case information, draft and submit proposed consent minutes and obtain court orders.
The new CMS Portal for child protection matters has moved the release date and will now go live on 23 October 2023.
Contact cmsproject@courts.vic.gov.au for information about training opportunities available to the profession.
The Equality & Diversity Committee reminds all signatories to the Law Council's Equitable Briefing Policy to submit their confidential reports by 30 September 2023.
You can submit your report on-line here.
The collection of this confidential and aggregated data is vital to assess the impact and effectiveness of the Policy. Guidelines are available from the Law Council website to assist adoptees in completing their reports.
Have you heard about the Richard Griffith Library but have never visited it? Held in person at the Richard Griffith Library, this short 15-minute tour with a Law Library Victoria Reference Librarian, will demonstrate how to access the library, point out collections and provide an overview of online subscriptions.
Location: Richard Griffith Library, Level 1, Owen Dixon East
Thursday, 26 October 2023, 1:15pm to 1:30pm Tour of the Richard Griffith Library
Thursday, 23 November 2023, 1:15pm to 1:30pm Tour of the Richard Griffith Library
Melbourne Law School is pleased to present the following events:
2023 Sir George Turner Public Lecture:
The Rule of Law in a Messy World: Limits, Limitations, and Challenges
Presenter: Professor Emeritus Gerald J. Postema
In his book, Law’s Rule, Professor Postema argues the rule of law aims to temper power and protect against power’s potential for arbitrary exercise. This profoundly important ideal serves an even more fundamental set of interrelated ideals – community, equality, and freedom from domination. The rule of law can only flourish when a community-wide ethos of fidelity supports it. Yet, law must resist capture by its enemies and rule in a world of entangled legal orders and competing moral values. While outlining and defending his conception of the rule of law, Professor Postema will explore challenges posed by law’s task of ruling in a ‘messy’ world.
We hope you can join us for this opportunity to hear Professor Emeritus Gerald J. Postema speak. Light refreshments will be served from 5:30pm with the lecture starting at 6:00pm.
Date & time: Wednesday, 4 October 2023, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Location: Melbourne Law School, G08 Theatre, 185 Pelham St, Carlton
Further information and registration
2023 Seabrook Chambers Public Lecture:
The changing form of the Executive branch of Government and declining accountability
Presenter: The Hon. Robert Redlich AM KC
In this lecture, The Hon. Robert Redlich will examine the centralisation of power, the exponential growth in the sphere of influence of ministerial advisors, the continuing decline in ministerial responsibility and the marginalised role of the public service. His presentation will explore how that changed environment has been accompanied by a lack of accountability in failing to follow conventions, codes of conduct and due process – aspects of due governance designed to maximise the prospect that the exercise of power serves the public interest. He also argues executive government’s willingness to address deterioration in these standards usually depends upon public exposure of these failings; the ability to inform the public is an essential function of an effective integrity commission.
We hope you can join us for this opportunity to hear The Hon. Robert Redlich AM KC speak. The lecture will start at 6:00pm and is hosted by the Melbourne Law School.
Date & time: Monday, 23 October 2023, 6:00pm - 7:00pm
Location: Melbourne Law School, G08 Theatre, 185 Pelham St, Carlton
Further information and registration
2023 Sir Anthony Mason Lecture:
The New Constitutional Scholarship in Australia
Presenter: Justice Gageler AC
We hope you can join us for this opportunity to hear Justice Gageler AC speak. Light refreshments will be served from 5:30pm with the lecture starting at 6:00pm.
Date & time: Tuesday, 31 October 2023, 5:30pm - 7:00pm
Location: Melbourne Law School, G08 Theatre, 185 Pelham St, Carlton
In 2023 the Adelaide Law School celebrates its 140th anniversary and is hosting the Law 140 Gala Dinner next week.
Details are as follows:
Pre-dinner canapes, a two-course meal, drinks and light entertainment will be provided.
Date: Thursday, 5 October 2023.
Time: 7:00pm
Venue: Hickinbotham Hall, National Wine Centre, Adelaide.
Tickets: $220 per person (10% staff discount)
$1,980 table of 10
Ticket cost also includes a copy of the history commissioned by the Adelaide Law School to commemorate the 140th anniversary: John Waugh, Adelaide Law: A History of the Adelaide Law School (Wakefield Press 2023).
Contact:
Belinda MacQueen, Alumni Relations Coordinator
belinda.macqueen@adelaide.edu.au +61 8 8313 5800
You are cordially invited to attend the James Cook University 2023 Mayo Lecture being held on Wednesday, 4 October 2023.
The Mayo Lecture is a prestigious annual event run by the James Cook University Law Students Society (JCULSS) supported by the JCU College of Business, Law and Governance in honour of Mrs Marylyn Mayo, JCU's foundation law staff member.
This year, we are pleased to announce that the Mayo Lecture will be conducted by Dr Bryan Keon-Cohen at the Bebegu Yumba Campus in Douglas, Townsville. Dr Keon-Cohen was one the of Legal Counsel for the Plaintiffs throughout the Mabo litigation; has acted for claimants in many native title and immigration matters in the Federal Court; has appeared in the High Court in constitutional, native title and refugee matters; and has written and lectured extensively on Indigenous rights.
The title of Dr Keon-Cohens lecture will be, “From Slavery to Sovereignty? Mabo, Native Title and the Uluru Statement from the Heart.”
The Lecture will be followed by light refreshments.
When: Wednesday, 4 October at 6:00pm – 7:00pm
Where: Online & Bld 142, Room 111, Science Place Lecture Theatre, JCU Townsville, Bebegu Yumba Campus, Douglas
This event will also be live streamed. Please register with the link below.
Register for this event here.
2023 Susan Campbell Oration
The Impact of Clinical Legal Education on Professional Identity Formation
Join us on Thursday, 19 October to hear from Professor Lisa Bliss as she shares her experience as the director and co-founder of the Health Law Partnership Clinic, where she teaches both law and medical students to integrate their clinic learning experiences into their vision for who they want to become as professionals.
This event will be held in person at Monash University Law Chambers, 555 Lonsdale Street, Melbourne from 5:30-7:30pm - 19 October. Register here
Monash Law Gala Dinner 2023
Law Reform: Designing laws that work
You are warmly invited to the Monash Law Gala Dinner 2023 on Thursday, 26 October with keynote speaker the Honourable Justice Mordecai Bromberg. A Monash Law alumnus whose passion for legal research and Law Reform has been reflected in his impressive career. In July this year, Justice Bromberg was appointed President of the Australian Law Reform Commission (ALRC) for a five-year term.
This event will be held in person at the RACV City Club, Lvl 17, 501 Bourke Street Melbourne from 6:00-10:00pm - 26 Oct. Purchase your ticket here
With only 6 weeks to go until the Asia Pacific Coroners Society Conference
Don't miss out - Register now.
If you haven't already done so, register now for the the Asia Pacific Coroners Society Conference being held at the Taronga Wildlife Retreat Sydney between Monday, 13 - Wednesday, 15 November 2023.
With 30 eminent speakers in an idyllic venue, don't miss the opportunity be part of this memorable event.
Presenters include:
Chief Constable Paul Anderson
Mr Jared Brown
Ms Felicity Cox
A/Professor Hugh Dillon
Dr Lorraine du Toit-Prinsloo
Dr Peggy Dwyer
Dr Kerri Eagle
Ms Kirsten Edwards
Ms Vanessa Edwige
New Zealand Coroner Tracey Fitzgibbon
Dr Ian Freckelton AO KC
Mr Andrew Gissing
Deputy State Coroner Harriet Grahame
Ms Sage Green
Detective A/Superint Kirsty Hales APM
Professor Ollie Jay
Commissioner Anina Johnson
Professor Fay Johnston
Professor Kelvin Kong
Ms Nicolle Lowe
Mr Thomas Mayo
Mr Tony McAvoy SC
Professor Raina Mcintyre
Mr Kerry O'Brien
NSW State Coroner Teresa O'Sullivan
Ms Jen Ross-King
Aunty Glendra Stubbs
New Zealand Coroner Tania Tetitaha
Dr Santiago Vazquez
Ms Donna Ward SC
Click here to download the program.
Click here to register.
The Victorian Institute of Forensic Medicine will this year host the Graeme Schofield Oration to be provided by Dr Morris Tidball-Binz, Geneva-based UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary and arbitrary executions.
This lecture will be on the application of humanitarian forensic investigation processes in serious violations of human rights and will be free of charge.
The oration will held at the NGV, and will be followed by a dinner at the Garden Restaurant, in a separate, paid ticketed event.
The oration:
Date: Thursday, 16 November 2023
Time: 6:00pm AEDT
Location: Clemenger BBDO Auditorium, National Gallery of Victoria
RSVP: Here
The dinner:
Three course dinner with drinks $190.00 per ticket or $1,520 per table
Location Garden Restaurant National Gallery of Victoria
Time 7:30pm AEDT Thursday, 16 November 2023
RSVP: Here
The Director, Briefings is a new position within the OPP Executive team. This role will play a key role in developing and leading a comprehensive Briefings Strategy and will be responsible in planning, managing, and overseeing OPP Briefings budget and expenditure.
As the Director Briefings, a successful candidate will work closely with the Executive team and external stakeholders, such as barristers, barristers' clerks, the Courts and Victoria Legal Aid increase the OPP's barrister pool and ensure quality prosecution outcomes.
Applications close 11:59pm, Wednesday, 4 October 2023.
Click here for more information and to apply for the role
If you would like to contribute relevant news, events, and updates for barristers and the legal profession to In Brief, please send an email with your content to inbrief@vicbar.com.au or complete this submission form.
Deadline for the next issue:5pm, 5th October 2023