Government Law Conference
Issues covered include: public interest disclosures, whistleblower protection, statutory interpretation, privacy law, consumer law, social media, model litigant, procurement, public sector witnesses, privilege,
Description
Tailored specifically for government lawyers, this year’s Government Law Conference brings together an impressive line-up of speakers to provide answers to some of the most pressing and topical issues faced by the public sector. Excel in your practice by ensuring you keep up with the latest developments and gain your CPD compulsory units from special sessions that address skills that you require as a modern government lawyer.
Attend the full day and earn 7 CPD units including:
4 units in Substantive Law
1 unit in Ethics & Professional Responsibility
1 unit in Practice Management & Business Skills
1 unit in Professional Skills
Session 1
Government Lawyers Update
Chair: Dan Star QC, List A Barristers
9.00am to 9.05am Opening Comments by the Chair
9.05am to 9.50am: Public Interest Disclosures and Whistleblower Protection Law
- Overview of the new Corporations Law Whistleblowing Regime
- Overview of Public Interest Disclosures
- Overlap between the Public and Private Sector Whistleblowing Regimes
- Practical advice for organisations stuck in the middle
Presented by Elizabeth Ticehurst, Director, KPMG Law; Accredited Specialist in Employment & Industrial Law
9.50am to 10.35am: Latest Cases on Statutory Interpretation and Applying Principles to a Case Study
- Survey of recent cases regarding principles of statutory construction
- The High Court’s statements about statutory text
- Context, legislative purpose and extrinsic material
- Application of principles to a case study
Presented by Jim Hartley, Barrister, Young’s List
10.35am to 10.50am Morning Tea
10.50am to 11.35am: Privacy Law for Government: Getting the Right Balance
- Legislative framework and common law and equitable causes of action not often considered
- Issues arising from data breaches by Government Agencies, including mandatory data breach notifications, single and representative complaints to IOAC, and importantly actions, including class actions, in Federal or State Courts
- Litigation generally and extent of damages, including assessment of awards
Presented by Michael Rivette, Barrister, Young’s List; Lawyer of the Year in Privacy and Data Security Law, Best Lawyers 2019 – 2020; Leading Technology, Media & Telecommunications Junior Counsel, Doyle’s Guide 2019
11.35am to 12.20pm: Key Consumer Law Provisions: Application and Impact on the Public Sector
- When does the Competition & Consumer Act apply to Government?
- Key areas of risk and relevance
Presented by Laura Young, Partner and Anthony Seyfort, Partner, HWL Ebsworth
12.20pm to 1.05pm: Social Media use in the Public Sector: Risks and Rewards for Government Practitioners
- Comcare v Banerji and comment on government matters
- Social media risks in the public sector and how to avoid them
- Social media and employee misconduct and bullying
- Privacy issues associated with collection of social media information
Presented by Catherine Dunlop, Partner, Employment, Safety & People, Maddocks
1.05pm to 1.15pm Final Q&A and Closing Comments by the Chair
Session 2
CPD Compulsory Units for Government Lawyers
Chair: Andrew Field, Managing Principal Solicitor, Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office
Ethics & Professional Responsibility
2.00pm to 3.00pm: Bound by Ethics: The Model Litigant as Prosecutor
- What it means to be fearless but fair: questions raised in a high profile case
- Ethics of prosecuting
- Prosecution rules and policies
- The continuing role of the Common Law
- The prosecutor’s role in sentencing
- Prosecutors as Ministers of Justice?
Presented by Andrew Field, Managing Principal Solicitor, Victorian Government Solicitor’s Office
Practice Management & Business Skills
3.00pm to 4.00pm: Procurement of Legal Services: Managing and Minimising External Legal Costs
- How to minimise external legal expenditure in a cost-conscious environment
- Tips for managing external legal providers
- The Guidelines on Procurement: what a government lawyer needs to know
Presented by Andrew Suddick, Senior Legal and Contracts Manager, Agriculture Victoria Services (AVS)
4.00pm to 4.15pm Afternoon Tea
Professional Skills
4.15pm to 4.45pm: Preparing Public Sector Witnesses Required to Give Evidence: Guidance and Advice
A detailed guide to best practices for preparing a public sector witness to give evidence before:
- A court
- A Royal Commission
- The Ombudsman or other integrity body
- Parliament
Presented by Liam Brown, List G Barristers; Crown Counsel for the State of Victoria
Professional Skills
4.45pm to 5.15pm: Privileges Applying to Government
- Issues with legal professional privilege for government
- Public interest immunity
Presented by Edwina Smith, Barrister, List G Barristers
Venue
RACV City Club
Level 2, 501 Bourke St
Melbourne 3000
VIC
Australia
Parking Information
Parking is not included in your registration. Here are some options below. RACV City Club Car Park.
Directions
Testimonials
“This session was very informative - one of the best I have attended”