News, views, Practice Directions, events, forthcoming national and international conferences, CPD seminars and more …
New Brisbane Supreme and District Courthouse
Court operations will begin in the new Supreme and District Courthouse building at 415 George St from Monday 13 August 2012.
From Monday 2 July, the registry will begin moving files to the new premises and some services will be impacted throughout this period.
Please note that if you are lodging a search and copy request, allow up to 72 hours for the request to be processed as files may be in transit. Please advise when lodging the request if it is urgent. There may also be delays in the filing of documents in some cases.
To help the registry process requests in a timely manner, please consider these timeframes when filing documents and advise registry staff if there is a particular urgency, including any matter that is listed for court in the next 48 hours.
It is anticipated that the registry will be closed for approximately one and a half days when staff physically move into the new building. During this time, urgent documents will be able to be lodged at the Brisbane Magistrates Court where Supreme and District Court registry staff will be onsite to assist. Confirmation of these closures will be available on the Queensland Courts website www.courts.qld.gov.au once dates and times are finalised.
Queensland Courts sincerely apologise for any inconvenience during the transition period and look forward to working with you in the new premises.
In addition to modern and comfortable facilities, registry opening hours will be extended to 8:30am — 4:30pm weekdays from Monday 13 August 2012 but deadlines will remain as they are currently (4pm) for Daily Law Lists. Closer to this date, details will be made available on a new, secure wireless internet service that will provide faster access to authorised users.
Visit www.courts.qld.gov.au for ongoing updates regarding the transition to the new Supreme and District Courthouse.
AIJA Conference — Doing Justice for Young People
23-25 August 2012, Sebel Citigate Hotel, Brisbane
Magistrates who deal with children often make orders that would be “entirely inappropriate” for older, more mature individuals That view, expressed by an eminent former Supreme Court judge, was recently quoted — approvingly– by the President of the Victorian Children’s Court, Judge Paul Grant. Judge Grant went on to point out that, of the tiny minority of Children’s Court users who actually get locked up, more than half are victims of abuse, trauma or neglect and a third have mental health problems. In nine out of ten cases, alcohol or drugs are related to their offending, while more than one in ten of these children are already parents themselves.
It’s generally accepted that young people need a different justice system from the adult one, and that rehabilitation must be its focus. But what else needs to be different? This is one of many questions to be addressed by this year’s major AIJA conference —Doing Justice For Young People:Â Â Issues and Challenges for Judicial Administration in Australia & New Zealand, to be held in Brisbane from 23-25 August 2012.
Speakers include judges, magistrates, child welfare experts and academics, all looking at both the justice system and its young users, whether offenders or victims, or, as happens so often, a mixture of both.
Topics will include the sentencing and assessment of child sex offenders, the problems of managing cases of sibling sexual abuse, law enforcement responses to online child grooming, and appropriate legal responses to teenage “sexting”. Speakers will address a range of new, social media-related legal problems, from the management of “online payback” on indigenous Facebook pages to the legal frontier opened up by the use of social networking and mobile phones to facilitate sexual assaults.
Sessions will focus on offenders who are victims of foetal alcohol syndrome; on the relation of brain injury or early childhood trauma to offending, on adolescent domestic violence and on the role of alcohol in  family violence .Court and prison processes will also be analysed, with sessions on the role of children’s lawyers, on breaching bail, on “problem solving” courts, and on the 17 —year olds languishing in Queensland adult prisons .
The Family Court will be the topic of an extended panel discussion, with judges and consultants looking into a range of issues, including “equal shared parental responsibility”. Multicultural issues will also be an ongoing conference theme, with one panel addressing the connection between the over-representation of Aboriginal and Torres Strait islander children in both child protection and criminal justice systems and another looking at the difficulties that youths from African migrant communities encounter with police and the justice system.
For more information, please contact AIJA executive director: Professor Greg Reinhardt reinhardt@monash.edu ; (03) 96001311
Liz Porter, AIJA media officer (Tuesdays) elizabeth.porter@monash.edu 03 96001311; 0417 583709
Access the programme here or to register click here.
Spotted
We were recently reminded of the tradition of publishing embarrassing photographs of members of the Bar taken on obscure occasions, as promulgated by Jim Crowley QC as Editor of “Bar News”. With a view to reviving this fine tradition, Tony Morris QC has kindly provided the following picture featuring Stuart Sapsford in the world’s tightest tennis shorts (rear right).
Tony is standing beside Stuart (middle of the back row). Others featured are Stuart’s brother Warwick (rear left); his father, the late Dr Derek Sapsford (front left); his mother, the late Mrs Jill Sapsford (front middle); and Tony’s mother, Jan Morris (front right). The photograph was taken at the (now defunct) Château Royal Nouméa, January 1975.
QUT Crime Club – A Great Success
More than 110 people enjoyed the finale of the University semester-long “crime solving activity” on May 25 in the Supreme Court of Queensland. Highlights of the evening included the :
Queensland Attorney General’s endorsement of the QUT Crime Club;
- Wonderful “banter” between Judge Dearden and the Defence barrister, James Morton;
- 24 school children from 12 schools as the “jury” for the two court hearings;
- Attendance of international guests – four Bhutanese Attorneys;
- Networking between QUT students and school children and the legal and justice fraternity.
The unprecedented access to the Banco Court, interaction with a judge and speech from the Queensland Attorney General was valuable to both University and the Year 12 legal studies school children as it offered them a rare glimpse into both court, legal and political procedures.
Also the support from stakeholders in providing mentoring and sponsorship has been remarkable -Â a special mention must be made again to Suncorp Group for presenting $1,000 to the winning team.
Brisbane barrister named UQ Law Mentor of the Year
After helping a Malaysian law student “enormously” in her transition from the classroom to the world of legal practice, Barrister Dan Ryan has been named The University of Queensland’s Law Mentor of the Year.
Chief Justice of Queensland, The Honourable Paul de Jersey AC presented the prestigious award at the TC Beirne School of Law Awards Ceremony at Customs House on May 16.
The award recognises the valuable contribution to the TC Beirne School of Law by its alumni and legal professionals who volunteer their time as part of the UQ Law Mentor Program.
The program assists Bachelor of Laws students to cope with the challenges of law study and to negotiate the difficult transition from law school to the legal workplace by providing mentoring and career guidance.
Fourth year UQ law student Kah Hey Loh nominated Mr Ryan, who works as a barrister at Fullagar Chambers in Brisbane.
She said Mr Ryan helped “enormously”, by easing the transition from university to legal practice, and in developing a better understanding of Australian culture.
“He equipped me with useful study methods and advice about my legal career,” Ms Loh said.
“Through this program, I have been exposed to the practical aspects of my legal studies, which brings me closer to the working world.”
Mr Ryan praised the mentorship program for enabling students to forge relationships with practicing legal professionals that can have an impact on all facets of a student’s life.
“The real benefit of mentoring is getting to know each other in a one-on-one environment,” he said.
“This mentoring program makes available a deep well of experience which students may draw upon at any time.”
“It is a wonderful initiative of the UQ Law School. It brings advantages to students and it gives us the satisfaction of giving something of ourselves to the next generation of lawyers. And they enrich us in return.”
Dr Nick James, Director of Teaching and Learning at UQ’s TC Beirne School of Law, said the program was particularly helpful for students from non-English speaking backgrounds and those who did not have personal connections to the local legal profession.
“A lack of such a connection undermines the effectiveness of the legal education they receive,” Dr James said.
“Being mentored by a legal practitioner provides law students with a role model who can offer insight into the law and its operation in practice; guidance when making study and career choices, and professional networking opportunities.”
“A lack of personal connection with the legal profession can also be a source of considerable anxiety for law students, so the mentor program is an innovative and effective solution to overcome this particular learning challenge.”
Since its launch in 2007, over 400 students have benefitted from mentoring provided by more than 100 local, interstate and international solicitors, barristers, judges, associates, registrars and academics.
It has also been selected as one of UQ’s nominees for the 2012 Australian Awards for University Teaching (AAUT) Awards for Programs that Enhance Learning, in the Widening Participation category.
Australian Women Lawyers 4th National Conference
10-12 August 2012, The Australian National University
AWL recognises the unique challenges for women within the legal profession and the importance of their presence to advance justice and equality, whilst representing the whole of the community.
This 4th National Conference presents information and analysis from a number of recent key reports including ANU’s Trailblazing Women and the Law, the NSW Law Society’s Advancement of Women in the Legal Profession and ECU’s and WA Law Society’s Workplace Bullying in the Legal Profession reports.
This conference will also discuss surviving and thriving as a woman in the law, whilst valuing the fact that a number of women lawyers practice in rural, regional and remote areas.
Embracing the public world around us, the conference also reflects contemporary and often difficult issues with sessions on Intellectual Property rights, Construction and Social Media highlighting some outstanding contributions made by female practitioners in these areas.
Australian Women Lawyers are also delighted to welcome a Keynote Presentation by Ms Penny Williams, Australia’s Global Ambassador for Women and Girls.
Download the brochure here .
LEADR 5 day Mediation Workshop — Brisbane
9-13 October 2012
Dynamic — interactive — experiential — led by Professor Tania Sourdin
The workshop introduces participants to the theory and practical skills of mediation through lectures, demonstrations and simulated sessions in which participants practise the skills taught. The workshop is designed to provide the participants with:
- an understanding of the mediation process and its philosophy;
- the basic communication skills necessary to participate effectively and constructively in mediation as a party, adviser or mediator;
- an understanding of the barriers to effective communication;
- ability to identify disputes suitable for mediation;
- strategies to generate options and to break impasses;
- practical methods for responding to power and emotional dynamics;
- the basic knowledge from which to develop the skills required of a mediator;
- an opportunity to consider and discuss ethical dilemmas that may arise in mediation.
The workshop meets the education requirements for accreditation under the National Mediator Accreditation Scheme.
38 contact hours for CPD
LEADR membership to 30 June 2013
For more information, contact LEADR:1800 651 650; therese@leadr.com.au; www.leadr.com.au
Supreme Court of Queensland Seminar
Saturday 4th August 2012, Banco Court
This seminar is being conducted to mark the opening of the new metropolitan courthouse and is set to be the event for 2012. The seminar represents a wonderful opportunity to attend the first function in the new court building and to listen, learn, mingle at an event to be remembered. CPD accreditation is available for attendance at the seminar, which will be followed by a cocktail reception.
The program features high calibre speakers in a range of interesting sessions:
The Hon Robert French AC, Chief Justice of Australia – The Courts and Parliament
Commentator: Prof Gerard Carney, Dean of Law, University of Queensland
Chair: The Hon Paul de Jersey AC, Chief Justice of Queensland
The Rt Hon the Lord Neuberger, Master of the Rolls – The Common Law: From Every Fountain of Justice
Commentator: The Hon Justice Susan Kiefel AC, High Court of Australia
Chair: The Hon Justice Margaret McMurdo AC, President
The Rt Hon Dame Sian Elias GNZM, Chief Justice of New Zealand – Not on Speaking Terms? The Executive and the Courts
Commentator: The Hon Patrick Keane, Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia
Chair: The Hon Justice Margaret White
The Hon Mr Justice Geoffrey Ma, Chief Justice of Hong Kong – Duties Owed to the Court: Fact, Fiction and Continuing Relevance
Commentator: The Hon Marilyn Warren AC, Chief Justice of Victoria
Chair: The Hon Justice Duncan McMeekin
The Rt Hon Lady Justice Hallett DBE, Court of Appeal of England and Wales – The Education of Judges
Commentator: The Hon Wayne Martin, Chief Justice of Western Australia
Chair: The Hon Justice John Byrne RFD
For further information and registration details click here .
 
