Craig Tanner is to present a paper of the effect of the 2012 amendments on lump sum claims at the Legalwise Seminar “Workers Compensation: Working with the Reforms”, scheduled for 13 June 2013.

Ben Fogarty will be delivering a panel presentation for NSW Young Lawyers on 9 April 2013 entitled ‘What is Discrimination?” see: link to NSW Young Lawyers flyer

Click here to read his paper.

Jeffrey Phillips SC will be presenting a seminar entitled Bullying in Our Legal Workplaces at the NSW State Legal Conference on 27 March 2013.  The paper calls for civility and respect in the courtroom from all participants if only to provide a safe legal workplace.

Click here to read his paper.

The NSW Bar Association will conduct a CPD Conference on 23 March 2013.  Kylie Nomchong SC is presenting an Ethics Hypothetical in conjunction with Richard Weinstein SC.  This ethics seminar will focus upon Rule 78 of the NSW Bar Rules and consider the steps which need to be taken by a barrister in circumstances where a client may be presenting false evidence to the barrister and/or the Court.

Ian Latham presented a seminar at the Law Society of NSW on 12 March 2103 entitled “Hot Topics in the Workplace”.

This paper covered a wide range of topics of changes to workplace law including adverse action claims, sexual harassment, unfair dismissals, Work Health and Safety  and other legislative changes.

Read the “Hot Topics in the Workplace” paper.

On 7 March 2013, Chief Justice Bathurst launched this new book published by Lexis Nexis.  It is a series of papers from members of the judiciary, the bar, academia, those in ADR practice, as well as from other areas in the community.

Jeremy Gormly SC contributed the chapter entitled “The Children of the Revolution; A Change in Dispute Culture”.

Chief Justice Bathurst praised the book as “an innovative work, highly readable and accessable.  His Honour said “it provides a critical perspective on the challenges facing the dispute resolution system and its future development.”

On 7 March 2013 Kylie Nomchong SC presented a paper in titled “Where is the Workplace When It Comes to Sexual Harassment?” The paper was presented at the NSW Union Lawyers and Industrial Officers Conference at Trades Hall.

The paper identified the grey areas where employers and employees may be liable for sexual harassment of other employees.  These areas present some difficulty in relation to the application of the Sex Discrimination Act, 1984 (Cth) where sexual harassment may occur at functions where co-employees attend but are not necessarily sponsored by the employer, social media exchanges and after hours conduct on business trips.

Jeremy Gormly SC is the Chair of the Common Law Committee of the Bar Association of NSW.  The Committee presented a one-day Personal Injury Conference at the Sheraton On The Park Hotel on 2 March 2013.   Jeremy Gormly chaired the Conference which included a range of seminar topics and speakers including Case Update (Andrew Morrison RFD SC), Joint Illegal Enterprises (William Fitzsimmons), Statutory Defences for Councils (Robert Sheldon SC) and Administrative Law Challenges from CARS, MARS and Proper Officers (Mark Robinson SC).

On 7 February 2013, Kylie Nomchong SC was invited by Gadens Lawyers to discuss the role of women at the Bar and the desirability for further diversity.  Particular attention was directed towards the Equitable Briefing Policy published and endorsed by the Law Council of Australia.

This Policy has been adopted widely by Government departments and agencies.  It is promoted by leading law firms in Sydney.  In addition, the information presented at this seminar identified that major clients are now insisting upon compliance with the Equitable Briefing Policy from law firms on their panel.

The Equitable Briefing Policy can be found on the Law Council website at www.lawcouncil.asn.au – go to “Library” and then “Policies and Guidelines”.

The Tristan Jepson Memorial Foundation (TJMF) is a volunteer, charitable organization that works to raise psychological resilience and fight mental illness in the legal community.

On 22 and 23 February 2013, Kylie Nomchong SC attended the annual planning meeting of the TJMF.

Kylie is a member of the Board of Directors which includes the Hon Keith Mason AC QC (Chairman), George and Marie Jepson, The Hon Justice Katzmann, Peter Butler OAM (Herbert Smith Freehills), Michael Tidbull (CEO Law Society), Alan Cameron AO (Fellow, University of Sydney Senate), Dr Robert Fisher (Head of Department of Psychiatry (St Vincent’s Clinic and Private Hospital), Professor Jill McKeough(Australian Law Reform Commission), Trish McDonald SC, Greg Johnson (NSW Young Lawyers), Geoffrey Winters (Australian Law Student Association) and Thomas Gaffney (Ashurst).

The focus of TJMF’s work is:

1. Raising awareness of the psychological stressors and specific mental health problems which occur in the legal profession;

2. Encouraging primary preventative measures which reduces unnecessary workplace stress and build individual and team resilience in the legal workplace;

3. Guide the provisions of secondary prevention measures such as Mental Health First Aid Courses to enable colleagues and HR personnel to render assistance and triage any individual with mental health problems to obtain appropriate health;

4. Promoting the tertiary prevention measures which facilitate mental health maintenance after an episode of illness and assist in the successful return to the workplace.

TJMF is dependent upon donations.  In order to contribute please go to www.tjmf.org.au or if you require further information go to info@tjmf.org.au.