Current affairs, news, Practice Directions, CPD Seminars, conferences and more …
2008 Inner Temple Book Prize
A major new prize for legal authorship has been launched by the Inner Temple, one of the UK’s Inns of Court. The first prize of 10,000 is open to any author whose work fulfills the competition criteria.There is also a second prize, specifically designed to encourage younger authors in legal writing. A prospectus is available online at www.innertemplebookprize.org
CPD Seminar 13 – Current Issues and Developments in Corporate Insolvency Law and Practice – Series: I – Creditors’ Petitions – 14 May 2008
Federal Magistrate Keith Wilson S.C. will chair CPD Seminar 13, Current Issues and Developments in Corporate Insolvency Law and Practice – Series I: Creditors’ Petitions, which will take place at the Bar Common Room, Inns of Court, Brisbane on 14 May 2008. The presenter of the seminar is Mark Martin. For more information, CLICK HERE.
Advocates Needed – Provision of Expert Evidence Workshop – 17-18 May 2008
The National Institute of Forensic Science will be conducting the Provision of Expert Evidence Workshop at the Law Courts Complex, Brisbane on 17 and 18 May 2008. The workshop is designed to introduce scientists and police who may be called to give expert testimony to the court requirements and their obligations as experts. NIFS is requesting the assistance of 6 advocates for the moot court component of the workshop on Sunday 18th May. The workshop has been accredited by the Bar Association of Queensland and CPD points will be awarded for participation. For more details, visit the NIFS website at www.nifs.com.au or email Anna Davey, Acting Director, NIFS at anna.davey@nifs.com.au
Law Walk for Justice – 19 May 2008
The inaugural Law Walk for Justice, a 5km walk along the Brisbane River will be held on Monday 19 May, 2008 starting at 7.00am. Chief Justice de Jersey will lead the walk and the event will raise money for the QPILCH Disbursement Fund. The event is being sponsored by the Bar Association and the Queensland Law Society. For more information, CLICK HERE.
Launch of Court Network
Court Network has launched its service in the Brisbane Supreme and District Courts as announced by The Honourable Paul de Jersey Chief Justice and The Honourable Kerry Shine MP Queensland Attorney-General on 12th December 2007.
Court Network is a not-for-profit organisation which assists persons on their day in court. The service provides highly trained volunteers offering free support, information (strictly no legal advice) and referral to court users, individuals, families and friends going to court. This service is viewed as providing an equality of access to court. The service will hold Information and Selection Sessions twice a year (or as needed) to recruit new trainee volunteers into the program. All enquiries and registration of interest can be made to Court Network on (07) 3836 0541 or by emailing brisbane@courtnetwork.com.au.
Her Excellency the Governor of Queensland, Ms Quentin Bryce, AC is the organisation’s state patron and will be hosting Court Network’s Launch of the service into the Supreme & District Courts.
Preparing and Conducting Family Law – Interim Hearings in the Federal Magistrates Court – 3 Part Series – 15 April, 22 May and 14 June 2008
The Queensland Law Society and the Bar Association of Queensland are the presenters of a 3 part series Preparing and Conducting Family Law Interim Hearings in the Federal Magistrates Court. The series will provide practical training for lawyers preparing cases and appearing as advocate within the family law jurisdiction of the Federal Magistrates Court and focus on the essential steps of preparing a case for an interim hearing. For more information, CLICK HERE.
25th Annual Banking & Financial Services Law & Practice Conference – Queenstown – 25-26 July 2008
The 25th Annual Banking & Financial Services Law and Practice Conference, The Financial Markets Bungy – Ensuring We Spring Back After Taking the Plunge, will take place at Queenstown on 25 and 26 July 2008. Professor Philip Wood, Visiting Professor in International Financial Law, Oxford University is the speaker at the opening plenary. The Conference has been accredited 1 CPD point per hour of attendance and 3 CPD points per hour of presentation in the non-allocated strand. For more information, contact John Sheahan on (02) 8815 9177 or email john.sheahan@5wentworth.com.au, or to download a conference programme, CLICK HERE.
Australian Lawyers Surfing Association Inc.
2008 Conference – Bali – 20-24 August 2008
The Australian Lawyers Surfing Association Inc. is holding its annual continuing legal education conference at Uluwutu, Bali from 20 to 24 August 2008. An optional three-day pre-conference Master Class will take place from 17 to 20 August 2008 at Nusu Lembongan. Conference papers will cover many areas of legal practice including commercial law, environmental and development law, criminal law and land rights. There will also be sessions dealing with the East Bali Poverty Project and ALSA’s continuing role in this environmentally sustainable development project.
Anyone interested in giving a paper should contact Peter Strain of Garfield Barwick Chambers on (02)9223 2032 or email strain@chambers.net.au. For more conference details please call Hayden at Wavechasers on (02)8347 0589 or email asiatravel1@optusnet.com.au
Commonwealth Lawyers’ Association 25th Anniversary Conference – Jamaica – 16-19 October 2008
The 25th Anniversary Conference of the Commonwealth Lawyers’ Association will take place at Montego Bay, Jamaica from 16 to 19 October 2008. The Commonwealth Lawyers’ Association (CLA) is an international organisation which exists to promote and maintain the rule of law throughout the Commonwealth by ensuring that an independent and efficient legal profession, with the highest standards of ethics and integrity, serves the people of the Commonwealth. For more information, CLICK HERE.
Caption Competition
Readers are invited to submit caption suggestions for the photograph taken of three of the participants at the ABA Advocacy Course in Sydney in January. Please email your suggestion to editor@www.hearsay.org.au or call (07) 3236 4020.
The Tub
Several counsel from Queensland have been appearing before Callinan AC in his capacity of Commissioner of the Equine Influenza Inquiry in Sydney. All have been impressed by the efforts of the court reporters who have provided simultaneous transcript to all parties available via PCs at the bar tables. An extract of some of the transcript of a recent late afternoon session is enclosed. The Commissioner was hearing evidence by video from two equine veterinary experts based in Hong Kong. It may have been the lateness of the hour that resulted in a lack of proper capitalization in the transcript of the concluding remark of the Commissioner?
Commission of inquiry into August 2007 outbreak of equine influenza
Before The Hon Ian Callinan AC
Held at Level 5, 55 Market Street, Sydney
On Wednesday, 20 February 2008, at 10.30am
(Day 36)
……..
MR HENSKENS: Commissioner, the next witness is Dr Stewart. We have arranged for a video conference with Dr Stewart, who is in Hong Kong, at 5 o’clock. I would propose that we adjourn until 5 o’clock.
THE COMMISSIONER: All right. We will adjourn until 5 o’clock.
SHORT ADJOURNMENT
<BRIAN DAVID STEWART, affirmed: [5pm]
<EXAMINATION BY MR HENSKENS:
MR HENSKENS: Q. Is your full name Brian David Stewart?
A. Yes, it is.
Q. Dr Stewart, are you the head of veterinary regulation and international liaison with the Hong Kong Jockey Club?
A. Yes, I am.
………
Q. Can you give me an outline of what that is and what you do there?
A. I might ask my colleague, Kenneth Lam, to answer that one. He is probably better equipped to do it.
<KENNETH LAM, called: [5.21pm]
DR LAM: Dr Kenneth Lam here, also one of the vets at the Hong Kong Jockey Club.
………
THE COMMISSIONER: Thank you very much for your assistance. It was good of you to make yourselves available. That concludes this. Thank you.
<THE WITNESSES WITHDREW
THE COMMISSIONER: We have just had what the Federal Court would call a hot tub – two experts together. We will adjourn, then, until 10 o’clock tomorrow morning, when the tub will be cold.
AT 5.40 THE COMMISSION WAS ADJOURNED TO THURSDAY, 21 FEBRUARY 2008 AT 10AM
