Submission to the Inquiry into the operation of the Legislation Review Act 1987 (NSW)
The Society recently contributed to the inquiry into the operation of the Legislation Review Act 1987 (NSW). A copy of the submission is available online here and is extracted below.
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The New South Wales Society of Labor Lawyers (‘the Society’) welcomes the opportunity to make a submission to the Inquiry into the operation of the Legislation Review Act 1987 (NSW) (‘Legislation Review Act’).
Read moreMary Gaudron Address to the 2017 Annual Dinner - "Rethinking Trade Unionism"
I regret to inform you that you have invited a very grumpy old woman to speak to you tonight. There is much of modern life that I resent and resist. I will spare you the list but at the very top of it is the decline and demonisation of Trade Unions. I suppose I should declare at the outset that Trade Unions were an influential part of my formative years. My father was a member of and, from time to time, the local rep for the AFULE (Australian Federated Union of Locomotive Engineers).
Read moreThe Frank Walker Memorial Lecture 2017: The Separation of Church and State — The Liberal Argument for Equal Rights for Gay and Lesbian Australians
In February last year, The Monthly published my essay It’s Time. The title was not simply channelling Labor’s 1972 campaign slogan.
It was rather a recognition of the fact that the time has come for marriage equality in Australia, and a reminder to those who deny marriage rights to gay and lesbian Australians that what we have in common matters more than the division and difference some wish to cultivate.
Read moreLegal Tweaks 2015
Legal Tweaks 2015 was launched Monday 2 November by Edward Santow, CEO of the Public Interest Advocacy Centre.
This year's edition contains a foreword by Federal Shadow Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus QC MP and NSW Shadow Attorney-General Paul Lynch.
To access the online edition click here.
Contributors
Edward Santow & Sophie Farthing, Edwina Lloyd, Kirk McKenzie, Professor Nicholas Cowdery AM QC, Noni Nelson, Sandra Kaltoum, Chris Frommer, Adam Zwi, Kunal Sharma, Senthorun Raj, Stephen Blanks, Sarah Schwartz, Stephen Lawrence, Tanya Mitchell, Professor Joellen Riley, Peter McNamara, Ali Mojtahedi, Kelly Xiao, Michael Finnane QC, Hannah Ryan, Henry Cornwell, Mikah Pajaczkowska-Russell, Professor Ben Saul, Hannah Quadrio, Harry Edwards, Lewis Hamilton, Professor George Williams AO
2014 President's Report
In 2014, the NSW Society of Labor Lawyers has grown stronger in terms of numbers, profile and impact.
Our number of financial members grew by almost 25 per cent in 2014 (taking us to 237). I attribute this to a terrific program of events that enabled us to connect with a broad range of people from the profession. There is wide diversity of experience within our membership, though more work needs to be done to ensure that this experience is properly utilised. If an issue arises that you have a particular interest in, please let us know so we can get your input and involve you in our advocacy work.
Read moreFrank Walker Lecture 2014
"A Golden Era of Law Reform"
The Inaugural Frank Walker Lecture was held at Parliament House on 11 November 2014. His Honour Judge Greg Woods delivered the lecture titled "A Golden Era of Law Reform"
Read moreJustice Sheahan's tribute to Whitlam
'WHITLAM'
A tribute by Justice Terry Sheahan AO delivered at the NSW Society of Labor Lawyers AGM Monday 27 October 2014
Rodney Cavalier is concerned about the Society’s proposal that I move a motion tonight that it grant Gough posthumous life membership, but it would be consistent with much of Whitlam’s self-deprecatory humour, for us to recall the famous anecdote about his booking the crypt of St Mary’s Cathedral for 3 days after he died.
Read moreLegal Tweaks 2014
Legal Tweaks 2014 was launched Monday 27 October by Nicholas Cowdery AM QC - read his launch speech here
The forwards in the 2014 edition are by the Hon Paul Lynch MP and Mark Dreyfus QC MP.
Tweaks by:
Tony Bowen, Lewis Hamilton, Senthorun Raj, Ben Saul, Philip Boncardo, Nicholas Cowdery AM QC, Greg Jones, Miiko Kumar, Stephen Odgers SC, Hannah Quadrio, Joellen Riley, Ingmar Taylor SC, Joe Effrem, Daryl Melham, Patrick Garcia, Peter Pereira, Stephen Blanks, Thomas Liu, Kunal Sharma, Katie Wrigley, Darren Jenkins, Sen. Joseph Ludwig, Hannah Ryan, Cameron Murphy, James Mack, Tim Quadrio, Eliot Olivier, John Wheelan, George Williams AO, Elisabeth Peden, Kim Richardson, Jane Needham SC.
Read moreTribute to Gough
It is now trite to say that Gough Whitlam was a great leader. A foundation of his greatness was his ability as a (Labor) lawyer.
When Whitlam was sworn in as Prime Minister on 5 December 1972 he was also sworn in, for a period of fourteen days only, as Attorney General.
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Elections Funding
Dear Members of Parliament,
Re: Elections Funding, Expenditure and Disclosures Amendment Bill 2014 I write on behalf of the Executive of the NSW Society of Labor Lawyers (Labor Lawyers) to express our concerns about the Elections Funding, Expenditure and Disclosures Amendment Bill 2014 (the Bill), introduced this week.
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