Government Law Conference 2020
Issues covered include:open government, open data, procurement, public interest disclosures, data use, data sharing, modern slavery, duties of government lawyers, wellbeing
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 specifically created for government lawyers.
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
Roundup of Government Law Current Issues
Chair: Rebecca Whittle, Partner, Head of Litigation Team, Australia, Norton Rose Fulbright Australia
9.00am to 9.05am Opening Comments by the Chair
9.05am to 9.50am: INSIGHTS FROM THE NEW INFORMATION COMMISSIONER: Open Government and Open Data in 2020
- The value of Open Government
- The relationship of Open Government and good governance
- Open Government enablers:
- The technical: technology to enable Open Data and the Data: NSW portal
- The legislative: the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act)
- Recent developments in access to information in machine learning and government decision making
- Amending policies and procedures to ensure compliance in practice
Presented by Elizabeth Tydd, NSW Information Commissioner and Open Data Advocate, CEO Information and Privacy Commission
9.50am to 10.35am: LEGISLATIVE REFORMS: Challenging Procurement Processes and Decisions: Public Works and Procurement Amendment (Enforcement) Act 2018 (NSW)
- Where is the Public Works and Procurement Amendment (Enforcement) Act 2018 (NSW) up to?
- Who does the Act apply to, what can they do, and what could they get?
- What is the Trans-Pacific Partnership and where does it fit in
- Comparison with the Government Procurement (Judicial Review) Act 2018
- Importance to ensure policies and procedures are reviewed and updated to ensure compliance
- What you should be doing to prepare for these eminent reforms
- What about other complaint processes and remedies?
- International comparisons: EU/US
Presented by Scott Alden, Partner and Victoria Gordon, Associate, Holding Redlich Lawyers
10.35am to 10.50am Morning Tea
10.50am to 11.35am: Public Interest Disclosures and Whistleblower Protection Laws
- Understanding 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, Workplace & Employment Law, KPMG; Accredited Specialist in Employment & Industrial Law
11.35am to 12.20pm: Data Use and Data Sharing in Government: New Regulations, Models and Challenges
- Policy development, delivery of services, business applications and compliance: what's acceptable and what isn't
- Algorithmic decision-making and government AI post Robodebt
- Processes and tools for good data governance and data linkage projects
- What's covered and what's not: minding the gap between current regulation and digital trust of citizens
- Commonwealth, State and Territory data sharing laws: devils in the details
Presented by Peter Leonard, Principal, Data Synergies; Professor of Practice, UNSW Business School
12.20pm to 1.05pm: Modern Slavery Legislation: How to Manage your Obligations in Practice
- Overview: government role(s) under the Legislation
- ‘Slavery’ in Australia
- Guidance on the Legislation’s operation
- Compliance: expectation and mechanisms
- Who asks what, when and how deeply: compliance costs
- Impact on SME’s
- Efficacy: impact on those affected by ‘slavery’
Presented by Greg Ross, Partner, Eakin McCaffery Cox; Accredited Specialist in Government and Administrative Law
1.05pm to 1.15pm Final Q&A and Closing Comments by the Chair
Session 2
CPD Compulsory Units for Government Lawyers
Chair: Brendon Green, Senior Associate, Norton Rose Fulbright Australia
Ethics & Professional Responsibility
2.00pm to 3.00pm: The Not-so-Secret Lives of Public Servants: Ethical Implications
The recent High Court case of Comcare v Banerji has highlighted the tension between public servants’ duties as government employees and their rights as private citizens. Government lawyers face a similar tension between their duties to their employer and their professional duty of independence.
- Examine the extent to which government employees’ duties impinge upon their rights and duties in other capacities
- Tips and traps and some practical advice about compliance
Presented by Elizabeth Devine, Principal, Solicitor and Workplace Relations Consultant, Devine Law at Work
Practice Management & Business Skills
3.00pm to 4.00pm: Safeguarding Your Wellbeing in Challenging Times
- Understanding stress and trauma
- Burnout and vicarious trauma: risks and protective factors
- Strategies to safeguard your wellbeing
Presented by Dr Cathy Kezelman AM, President, Blue Knot Foundation
4.00pm to 4.15pm Afternoon Tea
Professional Skills
4.15pm to 5.15pm: Producing State Papers
Consider the issues arising when responding to Standing Order 52 requests, including how the Executive engages in this process and the powers of the Legislative Council to require the production of state papers.
- What is Standing Order 52 or an ‘Order for Papers’?
- What is the process?
- Key legal issues (including Cabinet in Confidence documents)
- Implications for agencies
- Practical tips in responding to an Order for Papers
Presented by Dr Ashley Tsacalos, Partner, Clayton Utz
Venue
Cliftons Sydney
Level 3, 10 Spring Street
Sydney 2000
NSW
Australia
Directions
Nearby Public Transport:
Train Stations - Wynyard 400m OR Martin Place 500m
Bus Interchange - Clarence Street 450m
Ferry - Circular Quay 1.2km
Parking Information
Parking not included in your registration. Here are some options below.
Secure Park 20 Bond Street - click here for rates
Wilson Park 1 O'Connell Street - click here for rates
Wilson Park 31 Bond Street - click here for rates