South Australia
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How to forge a career in the legal profession
5th Sep 2024The numbers of female partners and equity partners in Australian law firms are on the rise – but how do you make your way there? Amy Nikolovski details her journey from ‘talks too much’ schooldays to Managing Partner at DBH Lawyers – and on the way provides advice on how to define your career trajectory and succeed in your chosen path.
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Alternative diversion model for children under the raised minimum age of criminal responsibility
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New SA laws threaten rule of law
22nd Feb 2024‘An appalling and the most egregious attack on the rule of law we have seen in some time’ writes Greg Barns SC, in response to last month’s amendments to the State’s sentencing laws.
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Unmasking the injustice: Inadequate compensation for road accident acquired brain injuries in Victoria
25th Jan 2024Jeremy King of Robinson Gill Lawyers examines Victoria’s Transport Accident Commission's compensation structure, weighing its shortfalls against the multi-faceted impact of acquired brain injuries on sufferers and their families.
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Proposed SA sentencing laws for sex offences will result in injustice
24th Jan 2024The South Australian government’s draconian new laws on sentencing for sex offences, developed without consultation with the legal community, will result in injustice, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance.
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Extensive delays with detention centre claims continue in SA Courts
4th Aug 2023Refugees who claim they experienced mental and physical harm in South Australian detention centres continue to face extensive delays to their cases against the Federal Government and its contractors, with 60 matters listed in the Supreme Court of SA yesterday.
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SA anti-protest laws: unnecessary and penalties too harsh
31st May 2023Anti-protest laws that passed the South Australian Legislative Council this week are a disappointing and unnecessary attack on the rights to freedom of speech and freedom of assembly, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).
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Govt urged to remember the human impact of changes to Return to Work SA scheme
23rd Nov 2022Ad-hoc revisions to the Return to Work SA scheme, along with flawed processes and inconsistencies in delivery, are having long-term and negative impacts on people injured at work, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance.
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SA lawyer wins national award recognising commitment to seeking justice for asylum seekers
21st Oct 2022A South Australian lawyer who uses his skills and expertise to advocate for survivors of abuse, and specifically people seeking asylum in Australia, has received the 2022 Australian Lawyers Alliance’s (ALA) Civil Justice Award.
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Injured workers need every chance to be assessed before workers comp rules change
8th Jul 2022New workers’ compensation laws in South Australia provide some certainty for workers but there will be seriously injured people who miss out on the support they need.
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New workers comp bill flawed and ambiguous – must not be rushed through Parliament
28th Jun 2022Lawyers representing injured workers say the Return to Work (Scheme Sustainability) Bill 2022 is flawed and ambiguous, and will create further uncertainty for injured workers.
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Withdrawal of workers comp bill welcome but lawyers call for careful consideration of new amendments
14th Jun 2022Lawyers representing injured workers have welcomed the withdrawal of the amendments previously proposed to the SA Return to Work Act, but are calling for careful review of the new Return to Work (Scheme Sustainability) Bill 2022.
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Calls for Government to disclose actuarial reports relied upon to make workers comp changes
10th Jun 2022Proposed changes to the SA Return to Work Act mean that many workers who suffer more than one injury face an uncertain future and are likely to be considerably worse off, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).
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Stealthy approach to stripping rights from injured workers is deplorable
2nd Jun 2022A proposal to make a fundamental change to the SA Return to Work Act, which will affect thousands of workers and their entitlements, is being snuck into Parliament today without consultation, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).
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South Australia – No longer the rogue class action state
17th Mar 2022‘An intended purpose of representative proceedings is to give access to justice to people who cannot afford it,’ writes JE Rowe. But until recently, ‘access to justice was denied to vulnerable people in South Australia unless they could get funding or other access to funds to provide security for costs.’
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Proposed drug driving law unfair and not supported by science
8th Sep 2021Proposed new drug driving laws in SA are not fair to drivers who can lose their license for taking prescribed cannabis with no evidence of impaired driving, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).
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SA workers’ compensation revisions remain concerning
25th Aug 2021Revisions to the South Australian workers’ compensation Impairment Assessment Guidelines gazetted yesterday are an improvement on the changes originally proposed, but lawyers remain concerned that some changes were made despite strong objections.
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Proposed changes to workers comp laws will lead to more disputes and legal action
21st Jul 2021Proposed changes to the state’s workers’ compensation laws will disadvantage injured workers and mean workers are more likely to have to fight through the tribunal and courts to receive compensation, say lawyers.
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Badly injured SA workers to be hit hard by proposed changes to workers comp laws
22nd Jun 2021Injured workers in South Australia will be badly affected by proposed changes to the workers’ compensation laws which are being made without proper scrutiny, say lawyers.
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SA harassment report shows cultural reform urgently needed
27th Apr 2021The Equal Opportunity Commission’s review of harassment in the legal profession in South Australia is a sobering reminder that the legal profession still has a long way to go to address sexual harassment in the workplace, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).
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Medicinal cannabis driving bill removes injustice
3rd Feb 2021Current drug driving laws are not fair to drivers who can lose their license for taking prescribed cannabis when there is no evidence of impaired driving, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) in response to the Road Traffic (Medicinal Cannabis) Amendment
Bill 2021 being introduced into parliament in South Australia today. -
SA abortion laws outdated: Politicians urged to accept SA Law Reform Institute recommendations
6th Dec 2019Recommendations to reform outdated abortion laws, made by the South Australian Law Reform Institute in a report released this week, have been welcomed by the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) in SA.
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Fines for South Australian driving offences jump by up to 500%
22nd Aug 2019Danielle Harris discusses the drastic increases in fines for driving offences in South Australia and questions whether the impetus for these changes is to raise revenue to address the budgetary dilemma currently facing the South Australian Government.
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Investigation reports and litigation privilege in motor vehicle accidents: Douglas v Morgan [2019] SASCFC 76
15th Aug 2019Natasha Budimski outlines the recent Supreme Court of SA decision Douglas v Morgan & Ors. This case directly challenged the ability of CTP insurers to assert legal professional privilege over investigation reports obtained early on in a motor vehicle accident claim, and ultimately make determinations on liability based on those reports.
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Appearing before the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) – What you may need to know
25th Jul 2019Information and issues to consider when preparing to face an Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) investigation in SA.
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Drivers lose out in insurance shake-up
18th Jul 2019The SA State Government’s recent rejection of a number of recommendations made by a parliamentary review into SA’s compulsory third party (CTP) scheme is bad news for injured motorists.
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Government response to CTP review fails SA motorists
28th Jun 2019The government has failed car accident victims in SA by refusing to accept many of the recommendations from the review of the state’s CTP scheme.
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Regional justice under threat
16th May 2019With the South Australian justice system facing further funding cuts in the upcoming June budget, Amy Nikolovski explains why regional court services must be protected.
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Lawyers urge SA government to implement fairer compensation scheme for injured motorists
13th Mar 2019Lawyers in SA are calling on the state government to urgently adopt recommendations that will provide fairer compensation to people injured in car accidents.
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Injured South Australians at risk after MAC CTP claims transferred to Berkshire Hathaway
15th Dec 2018Plaintiff lawyers in South Australia say the transfer of the Motor Accident Commission’s CTP claims back book has put injured South Australians at risk.
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Privatising workers comp puts SA workers’ rights up for sale
23rd Feb 2017Handing control of the South Australian workers compensation scheme to private insurers would prioritise insurer profits ahead of injured workers’ rights, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.
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How the chemotherapy under dosing highlights a lack of compassion
14th Jul 2016The recent chemotherapy under dosing bungle in two South Australian hospitals has highlighted significant flaws in the way that victims of medical negligence are often treated. This is particularly concerning as the hospitals involved are publicly funded and have a mandated policy of open disclosure specifically for situations like this.
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Lawyers call for independent inquiry into SA chemotherapy under-dosing
10th Jun 2016The Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) have today called for an independent inquiry into incidents of chemotherapy under-dosing at the Royal Adelaide Hospital (RAH).
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Return to work and the police – a positive reform
16th Feb 2016The Australian Lawyers Alliance welcomes the partial restoration of rights to ongoing income support and medical expenses for police officers who are injured in the line of duty and who have not been able to return to work within two years of their injury.
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CTP review must happen before MAC privatisation
8th Dec 2015The SA Law Society and Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) have expressed grave concern that next year’s compulsory review of the CTP scheme will be a meaningless exercise unless it is conducted before the planned privatisation of the CTP scheme.
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Commonwealth should scrutinise alleged SA child abuse
24th Jul 2014The South Australian Government should invite the Commonwealth Royal Commission on Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse to investigate allegations of abuse in that state, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.
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Govt should compensate industrial contamination zone victims
18th Jul 2014State authorities should compensate residents and property owners who have been adversely affected by the industrial contamination testing zone in Adelaide, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.
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The bitter taste of WorkCover SA
17th Jul 2014Renowned nationally for its battered financial status, inadequate benefits to workers and long delays, it’s time to consider a new scheme for injured workers in South Australia, writes Patrick Boylen, SA President of the Australian Lawyers Alliance.
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Changes to Motor Accident Commission at cost to SA rights
20th Jun 2014Changes to the Motor Accident Commission may rob South Australians injured in motor accidents of adequate support, the Australian Lawyers Alliance said today.
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South Australian conference highlights workers comp
20th Jun 2014The ALA's South Australian conference will take place at the Intercontinental Hotel, Adelaide on Friday. Featuring Deputy Premier John Rau as keynote, Mr Rau will address the failings of South Australia's workers compensation scheme. The ALA continues to call for a fundamental overhaul of the scheme.
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Planned SA WorkCover overhaul benefits injured
28th Jun 2013“Industrial Relations Minister John Rau’s announcement today to pay out long-term SA WorkCover injury victims is likely to facilitate better health outcomes for such workers and is a long overdue development,” Australian Lawyers Alliance SA President, Patrick Boylen, said.
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Xenophon to voice concerns about SA CTP at ALA conference
12th Jun 2013Senator Nick Xenophon is one of several high profile speakers to address the Australian Lawyers Alliance South Australian Conference on Friday as part of a program focussing on recent changes to South Australia’s CTP scheme.
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SA victims’ rights sacrificed for road works
6th Jun 2013“Since March 2012 the SA government has led the public to believe that the CTP scheme needed to be reformed to ensure its financial viability into the future. The 2013 SA Budget has shown that the Motor Accident Commission (MAC) has a healthy surplus and the SA government has wasted no time in helping itself to the surplus,” ALA SA President Patrick Boylen said today.
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ALA applauds SA joining NDIS
18th Apr 2013The Australian Lawyers Alliance today congratulated South Australia on becoming the second state to unite with the federal government on the state-wide roll out of DisabilityCare Australia.
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ALA applauds criminal appeals review process
21st Mar 2013The Australian Lawyers Alliance today commended the South Australian Government for its initiative and vision in bringing about a new review process for criminal convictions with fresh and compelling evidence upon which to base further enquiry.
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ALA applauds rejection of Police Costs Bill (SA)
29th Nov 2012The Australian Lawyers Alliance applauds the Upper House Independent Members and the Liberal Party for standing up, yet again, for the rights of the innocent.
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Legal community welcomes review of SA CTP scheme
26th Nov 2012Australian and state peak legal bodies, the Australian Lawyers Alliance and the SA Law Society, are welcoming the SA CTP insurance White Paper report by SA Treasurer Jack Snelling, but warned administrative review was crucial to success of any such scheme.
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Over 20 per cent of large law firm's internet data is infiltrated
27th Oct 2012“Most lawyers have a high level of confidential information on their computers, yet a survey of the profession, last year, found that 21% of all large law firms and 15% of other firms suffered a security breach in that time,” solicitor and consulting ethicist, Neil Watt, told the Australian Lawyers Alliance conference in Adelaide today.
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David Manne among dignitaries at ALA National Conference
22nd Oct 2012David Manne, the lawyer who dashed federal government’s plans to process asylum seekers in Malaysia, is one of several dignitaries presenting at this year’s Australian Lawyers Alliance National Conference in Glenelg, South Australia this week.
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SA WorkCover’s $4 million blow-out
17th Oct 2012A significant deterioration in South Australian WorkCover’s performance has resulted in unfunded liabilities increasing from $1.billion to $1.4 billion the Auditor-General’s report tabled in parliament, yesterday, reveals.
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ALA calls for independent prisons inspectorate
18th Jun 2012The Australian Lawyers Alliance has expressed concern about the case of a woman handcuffed to a South Australian prison bed for up to 20 hours a day.
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ALA critical at second attempt to erode rights by SA government
18th Jun 2012“The attempt by the South Australian Labour Government to again erode the right to be awarded costs in claims in prosecutions, which fail in summary hearings, shows disregard for the parliamentary process,” Australian Lawyers Alliance South Australian President, Tony Kerin, said.
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Call for inquiry into impact of no-fault insurance schemes
16th Jun 2012The Australian Lawyers Alliance is calling for a Parliamentary Inquiry into no fault schemes and the impact of such schemes on the lives of injury victims, following the presentations of keynote speakers and panel experts at its SA Conference in Glenelg yesterday.
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ALA calls for inquiry into South Australia's CTP Scheme
4th May 2012The Australian Lawyers Alliance is calling for a Parliamentary Inquiry into the South Australian Government’s planned CTP Scheme changes amid fears that an existing, fully-functional, fault-based scheme, currently delivering to the state’s road injured, is being sacrificed to force-fit the state into a national injury, no-fault insurance scheme, which may not deliver.
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