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Top 10: Career Expos, major Federal Court decisions and law changes lead this fortnight’s news

As part of its fortnightly round up, Lawyers Weekly’s Protégé has put together the top 10 most important news updates relevant to young lawyers. 

user iconNaomi Neilson 31 May 2021 NewLaw
Career Expos, major Federal Court decisions and law changes lead this fortnight’s news
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1: 2021 Career Expo and Emerging Leaders Summit right around the corner

The inaugural Lawyers Weekly Career Expo and Emerging Leaders Summit is due to kick off next week and will feature a number of experts in the legal space offering their tried-and-true tips for the next generation of lawyers. As part of the summit, students, graduates and lawyers with less than five years’ experience will be connected with leading firms for a one-on-one networking session. Those who register now will also go in the running to win flights to New Zealand! Find out more here!

2: Federal Court reveals outcome of Porter’s defamation barrister

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In arguably the biggest news of the fortnight, the former attorney-general Christian Porter’s star-studded legal team used to include leading Sydney defamation barrister Sue Chrysanthou. As the result of a four-day hearing into a complaint made about her potential confidentiality breaches and the risk of her passing on information that could work to Mr Porter’s advantage, she has been booted from his team. 

3: Porter, ABC may enter into mediation to settle defamation dispute

Following on from the above, Mr Porter and the ABC have agreed to enter into a mediation in order to settle his defamation claim over the article that he claimed had named him as the cabinet minister at the centre of historic rape allegations (which he has strenuously denied). It could be related to the number of revelations out of the above case, including the journalist’s controversial text messages with her source. 

4: NSW sexual consent laws to be reformed

NSW Attorney-General Mark Speakman is being congratulated by the legal profession and the community alike for taking a major step forward in sexual consent laws. New stipulations now mean that affirmative consent is law and the accused person’s belief in consent will not be recognised unless they said or did something to establish the consent. This is a huge step forward for courts and for victims. 

5: Making the tough transition from military service into the legal profession

In this feature, Lawyers Weekly looks into a program designed by one of Australia’s leading firms to make the transition from military service into the legal profession easier. We talk to a former soldier, a mentor and a founder to determine what programs are in place to make this transition easier and what they stand to learn. 

6: Trans-Tasman courts deliver judgement in first-ever joint sitting

In a world-first, Australian and New Zealand courts participated in a joint hearing and have handed down their judgements. The two international courts came together over the liquidation of Halifax, an Australian entity that owned 70 per cent of the funds in a New Zealand subsidiary, Halifax New Zealand. 

7: The biggest headwinds facing young lawyers revealed

Three of Australia’s major firms have come together to explain the challenges that are facing young legal professionals today, including post-pandemic hybrid models of working and the associated tasks of remaining connected, sustaining a continuous workflow and, ultimately, securing their development trajectory. 

8: ‘Whistleblowers shouldn’t face prison for doing the right thing’

The Human Rights Law Centre has welcomed the findings of a Senate inquiry into press freedom to better protect whistleblowers and public interest journalism. The inquiry investigated the impact of national security and surveillance laws on press freedom and whistleblowing, which was initiated following the 2019 raids on ABC’s Sydney headquarters and the home of journalist Annika Smethurst.

9: Victorian courts implement contingency plans to combat latest lockdown

Lockdowns in the state of Victoria have prompted local courts to implement contingency plans, including allowing criminal jury trials that are already underway to continue following COVID-19 safe plans while new ones will be postponed. 

10: REVIEW: ‘Plan B for Human Rights’: Hypocrisy, missed standards at forefront of Australia’s human rights violations

The Australian government’s responses to human rights atrocities across the world have continued to border on hypocrisy, says leading international barrister Geoffrey Robertson who also talks Lawyers Weekly through the vital importance of introducing a Magnitsky Act and a national human rights charter to prevent abuses.

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