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NSW lawyers must advocate for safeguarding of rights and protections in 2019
With two elections facing residents of NSW this year, it is up to lawyers to “meaningfully prioritise access to justice and upholding the rule of law”, according to the new president of the Law Society of NSW.
Jerome Doraisamy
In her first President’s Message for 2019, Elizabeth Espinosa said the coming state and federal elections would mean this year is set be “incredibly busy” for the Law Society of NSW, particularly in light of political issues that have plagued governance across the country.
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“Unfortunately, a revolving door of political leadership has defined this past decade, causing all sorts of distractions and disruptions to the policy-making process. Which is why this year’s respective election campaigns will be an important opportunity for all political parties and candidates to re-articulate their vision for the people and communities they seek to serve,” Ms Espinosa wrote.
“In relation to the state election on 23 March, it is up to all of us, as the Law Society and the voice of the profession, to advocate for safeguarding rights and legal protections. The Law Society calls on all political leaders to meaningfully prioritise access to justice and upholding the rule of law.”
She referred to the Law Society’s State Election Platform – launched late last year – as a way to facilitate this process, particularly the calls for “increased resources for courts and the justice system, as well as the expansion of drug and alcohol rehabilitation facilities, including a Drug Court in rural, remote and regional areas”.
Other areas with room for improvement highlighted by the society in its platform included, but were not limited to: increased funding for Legal Aid; promoting investment and business innovation by reforming payroll tax; fostering digital innovation; promoting Sydney as a professional services hub in the Asia-Pacific, and reducing unnecessary regulatory burdens; and upholding the rule of law by promoting and protecting privacy and the use of data, protecting the rights of the injured, promoting practical ways to report and address elder abuse, protecting the security of e-conveyancing, and a Human Rights Act for NSW.
“In the meantime, one of my first priorities as your president will be to ensure that all major parties and crossbenchers in NSW provide detailed responses to these important law and justice issues, and to keep you updated on the answers provided,” she wrote.
“It is heartening to see there’ve already been some recent responses in relation to the Law Society’s call for a substantial increase in funding for legal aid, including for private practitioners doing legal aid work.”
