Victoria

• In Memoriam: Simon Garnett

  14th Nov 2024

  The ALA remembers Simon Garnett – APLA foundation member, Victorian State President and National Director.  

• Case Summary: Hyland v TAC [2024] VSC 641 - Plaintiff obligations and conflicting evidence on transport accident claims

  7th Nov 2024

  In a case with conflicting evidence of the accident and the accident circumstances, Jeremy King and Isabella Thomas of Robinson Gill Lawyers take us through the findings, identifying areas of particular relevance to plaintiff practitioners.

• Restricting the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) in workplace sexual harassment cases

  17th Sep 2024

• Proposed Lawyer X legislation removes common law rights

  13th Aug 2024

  Lawyers from the Australian Lawyers Alliance in Victoria are deeply concerned that the state is unilaterally removing common law rights by introducing laws blocking anyone seeking to sue Victoria Police in relation to Lawyer X.

• Vic Government must stick to commitment to raise the age of criminal responsibility

  12th Aug 2024

  A softening of the Victorian government’s commitment to raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility to 14 is a disappointing and ineffective way to respond to youth crime concerns, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) in Victoria.

• Case Summary: Akl v TAC [2024] VCC 242

  2nd Jun 2024

• NFP support and advocacy group – Flat Out – receives Victorian Civil Justice Award

  17th May 2024

  A Victorian advocacy group that supports women, trans and gender diverse people to get out and stay out of prison has received the Australian Lawyers Alliance’s (ALA) 2024 Victorian Civil Justice Award.

• Reversal of youth bail law plans in Victoria will cause harm

  20th Mar 2024

  The Victorian government’s announcement that it will not go ahead with plans to implement a presumption of bail for children will cause harm to young people and will not reduce crime, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).   

• More Tasers for Vic Police and PSOs very concerning

  16th Feb 2024

  The announcement this week that some ten thousand more frontline police and protective services officers (PSOs) in Victoria will be equipped with Tasers is very concerning, according to a coalition of Victorian legal and community services groups.

• Unmasking the injustice: Inadequate compensation for road accident acquired brain injuries in Victoria

  25th Jan 2024

  Jeremy 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.

• Inquiry into the Workplace Injury Rehabilitation and Compensation Amendment (WorkCover Scheme Modernisation) Bill 2023

  19th Jan 2024

• Lawyers Alliance calls on VIC Government to support drug checking services

  8th Jan 2024

  Following the news that several people are critically ill after drug use at the Hardmission Festival on the weekend, lawyers are urging the Victorian Government to introduce drug checking services to help keep people safe.

• The electrifying excision of an excise on electric vehicles - Vanderstock v Victoria

  23rd Nov 2023

  In a shift in the conversation about climate change and the energy transition, the High Court has found the section of the Act requiring electric vehicle drivers to pay an annual charge to the Victorian Government to be unconstitutional. Vaughan Hager unpacks the case.

• WorkCover cuts strip too many rights from injured workers

  2nd Nov 2023

  Proposed revisions to the workers’ compensation scheme in Victoria will strip too many rights from injured workers, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

• Victorian barrister wins ALA Member of the Year

  24th Oct 2023

  A Victorian barrister who regularly acts for plaintiffs in prison and police tort matters, Ms Stella Gold, has received the Australian Lawyers Alliance’s 2023 Member of the Year Award.

• Lawyers support calls to give Victorian Charter of Human Rights ‘more bite’

  11th Sep 2023

  The Yoorrook Justice Commission’s calls for people to be able to seek compensation for human rights abuses by taking their complaints to the Victorian Civil and Administrative Tribunal (VCAT) will make the state’s Charter of Human Rights more effective and powerful.

• Victoria and Lawyer X

  12th Jul 2023

  ‘Confidence in the rule of law, in ensuring police act within the law, and that serious wrongdoing by public officials, including police, will be uncovered and punished, is essential in a democracy,’ writes Greg Barns SC, dismayed by the latest development in the Lawyer X scandal.

• Independent review of compulsory treatment criteria and alignment of decision-making laws

  19th Jun 2023

• Govt urged to implement recommendations allowing equal access to jury duty

  22nd May 2023

  Proposed law reform to ensure people who are deaf or blind can participate in juries in Victoria is welcome.

• New WorkCover restrictions 'troubling'

  19th May 2023

  The sustainability of Victoria’s WorkCover scheme is critical but new restrictions on worker eligibility announced today are concerning, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

• ‘Poccum’s Law’ bail reform urgently needed to help prevent further tragedy

  22nd Mar 2023

  The ‘Poccum’s Law’ bail reforms proposed today for Victoria are urgently needed and will work to keep people from unnecessary and inappropriate imprisonment.

• Lawyers warn gaps in e-scooter insurance cover may mean no recourse for injury

  17th Mar 2023

  Urgent action from government and insurance companies is needed to ensure that anyone injured by an e-scooter in Victoria can receive fair compensation for their injuries, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

• Bail reform urgently needed but must give full discretion to the courts

  5th Mar 2023

  Victorian Attorney-General Jacelyn Symes proposed bail reforms announced today are welcome but there needs to be wholesale bail law reform says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

• Client privacy concerns: Lawyers call for urgent clarity re email search parameters

  8th Feb 2023

  Lawyers in Victoria are calling for urgent clarification around the rules that allowed the Bar Council to access barristers’ private emails and could put client confidentially at risk.

• Coronial findings response: Greater cultural consideration and a therapeutic approach urgently needed in Victorian bail decisions

  30th Jan 2023

  A requirement that the police and the court must explicitly consider a person’s Indigenous status when making decisions in regards to bail and sentencing would help address the systemic failures highlighted today by Coroner Simon McGregor’s investigation into the death of Indigenous woman, Veronica Nelson.

• Organisations call for decriminalisation of cannabis in Victoria

  28th Sep 2022

  Victoria’s drug laws must be brought into line with community expectations and the increasing evidence that shows a heath-based response to drug use is the best approach, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

• Advocating for women whose babies were forcibly removed for adoption

  1st Sep 2022

  Jyoti Haikerwal discusses the harm done by historical forced adoption practices in Victoria between 1958 and 1984, and charts the path to healing, from the formal apology of the Hon Ted Baillieu AO in 2012 to the redress scheme announced earlier this year by the Andrews Labor Government.

• Tanya Day family recognised for law change advocacy

  30th May 2022

  The family of Tanya Day who successfully advocated for the decriminalisation of public drunkenness in Victoria has belatedly received the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) 2021 Victorian Civil Justice Award.

• Social justice warrior – Sister Brigid Arthur – wins Victorian civil justice award

  27th May 2022

  Sister Brigid Arthur was today presented with the Australian Lawyers Alliance’s (ALA) 2022 Victoria Civil Justice Award recognising her long-term commitment to social justice.

• Victorian forced adoption redress scheme welcome but should be nation-wide

  10th Mar 2022

  A redress scheme in Victoria to support those affected by historical forced adoption practices is welcome, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA), but it should be nation-wide.

• Reform of body-worn camera laws in Victoria is welcome

  21st Dec 2021

  Plans to reform the legislation to allow courts to access video footage from body-worn cameras during civil proceedings in Victoria is welcome.

• A guardianship for special circumstances

  14th Jul 2021

  In proceedings where a party is found to be a ‘person under disability’, the court may appoint a litigation guardian to assist in the management of the party’s legal affairs. Priam Nandan provides an overview of litigation guardians, including the power to appoint, reasons for appointment, who can appoint a litigation guardian and considerations for a ‘person under disability’.

• Enormous power of police must be kept in check

  20th Jan 2021

  Police wield enormous power. It is absolutely critical that this power is checked and where it is abused, that the police officers are held to account. Jeremy King discusses the implications of the inquiry into the external oversight of police corruption and misconduct in Victoria, which acknowledged the significant failings of Victoria’s police complaints system and recommended the strengthening of the Independent Broad-based Anti-corruption Commission (IBAC).

• ALA thanks Victorian Attorney-General Jill Hennessy

  17th Dec 2020

  Attorney-General Jill Hennessy’s commitment to creating a fairer justice system in Victoria will be missed, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

• VIC lawyer wins national award for leadership in COVID crisis

  4th Dec 2020

  Victorian lawyer Jeremy King has been awarded the 2020 Australian Lawyers Alliance’s (ALA) Member of the Year Award.

• Provisional payments Bill will benefit workers experiencing mental illness

  27th Nov 2020

  Victorian workers who experience a work-related mental illness will benefit from having much quicker access to treatment and payments due to new legislation which allows for provisional payments to be made, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

• Lawyers urge decriminalisation of cannabis use in Victoria

  15th Oct 2020

  Cannabis use in Victoria should be decriminalised and regulated to minimise harm to users, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

• Body-worn police camera laws in VIC need urgent revision for use in civil matters

  9th Oct 2020

  Laws surrounding body-worn police cameras in Victoria need urgent revision so that access to video footage cannot be denied in civil proceedings, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

• Access to justice in Victoria limited by childcare restrictions

  11th Aug 2020

  Injured Victorians may not be able to have their cases heard because of rules that prevent lawyers and barristers in Victoria from accessing childcare despite being able to run trials remotely.

• New workplace manslaughter laws in Victoria

  2nd Jul 2020

  Sam Vasaiwalla explains the new Workplace Safety Legislation Amendment (Workplace Manslaughter and Other Matters) Act 2019 (Vic), effective from 1 July 2020. This new law makes workplace manslaughter a criminal offence in Victoria, with penalties of up to $16.5 million and 20 years’ jail.

• VIC emergency plans for prisoners are inhumane Bill needs careful scrutiny: ALA

  22nd Apr 2020

  Careful scrutiny of the Victorian COVID-19 Omnibus (Emergency Measures) Bill 2020 is needed as the scope is broad and the powers are significant, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).  

• Specialist drug court legislation welcomed

  18th Mar 2020

  Legislation introduced in the Victorian parliament today to expand the Drug Court, which has been running from Dandenong and Melbourne magistrates courts, to Shepparton, Ballarat and the County Court has been welcomed by the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

• VIC Workcover report highlights systemic failings in the system

  3rd Dec 2019

  The Victorian Ombudsman’s report into Workcover released today, which found that insurance agents are unfairly denying claims, highlights the need for urgent improvement to the scheme according to the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

• Class action group funding legislation will improve access to justice, says ALA

  27th Nov 2019

  New legislation introduced in Victorian Parliament today which allows lawyers to charge a percentage of the settlement in a successful class action - with approval from the Supreme Court - will help more people access the legal system, says the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

   

• Civil and criminal law both needed to ban conversion therapy

  19th Nov 2019

  Conversion practices that seek to change an individual’s sexual orientation should be regulated by a combination of criminal law and civil law, says the ALA.

• Jeremy King appointed new VIC ALA President

  28th Oct 2019

  Robinson Gill Principal, Jeremy King, has been appointed as the Victorian State President of the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

• ACCS consultation welcome to better assist injured Victorian workers

  18th Oct 2019

  Consultation to improve processes for injured workers, including through the Accident Compensation Conciliation Service (ACCS), has been welcomed by the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) in Victoria.

• Huge impact of asylum seeker work recognised with ALA’s VIC justice award

  3rd May 2019

  The Human Rights Law Centre (HRLC) and the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre (ASRC) have jointly won the Australian Lawyers Alliance’s (ALA) 2019 Victorian Civil Justice Award for their work to ensure that asylum seekers receive appropriate medical care.

• Intentional torts and certificates of assessment under the Wrongs Act

  21st Mar 2019

  Angela Sdrinis explores the effects of the Wrongs Act 1958 (Vic) on victims of sexual assault seeking to claim pain and suffering damages, with a particular focus on the recent case of Thompson v State of Victoria [2019] VCC 166.

• Victoria must now act on Pell's Melbourne Response compensation scheme

  7th Mar 2019

  Dimi Ioannou calls for reform of the Victorian sexual abuse compensation scheme, particularly in light of George Pell's recent conviction. 

• ALA response to new information in VIC Royal Commission into the Management of Informants

  7th Feb 2019

  The alleged actions of both the police and the informants involved in the Royal Commission into the Management of Informants have undermined faith in our justice system, according to the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA).

• ALA welcomes VIC Royal Commission

  5th Dec 2018

  The Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) has welcomed the Royal Commission into the conduct of the police force and its use of a criminal defence barrister as an informant.   

• TAC amendments allowing professional administration fees may fail

  8th Nov 2018

  A discussion of legislative amendments that will impact TAC claimants in Victoria.

• Damages for pain and suffering

  1st Nov 2018

  Harry Gill discusses two Victorian decisions that explore the assessment of pain and suffering damages in personal injury cases.

• Road accident victims in VIC benefit from changes to Transport Accident Act

  24th Sep 2018

  People injured in motor vehicle or cycling accidents on Victorian roads, and their families, will have better access to compensation after amendments to the Transport Accident Act (TAA) passed the Victorian Parliament late last week. 

• Can confidential medical records be subpoenaed in sexual assault claims?

  31st May 2018

  Angela Sdrinis discusses a recent Victorian case that will be of particular interest to abuse lawyers, exploring the question of whether medical records which contain confidential communications can be subpoenaed in matters of sexual assault.

• Legal service for women in need wins 2018 ALA Vic CJA

  7th May 2018

  A first-of-its-kind legal practice specifically for women who are in or at risk of entering the criminal justice system has been presented with the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) 2018 Victoria Civil Justice Award (CJA).

• Billion-dollar Vic Budget boost will increase access to justice

  1st May 2018

  A major funding increase for mental health services and the justice system, announced in today’s Budget, will help to support some of the most vulnerable members of our society, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

• Former Victorian Supreme Court Chief Justice to speak at state law con

  27th Apr 2018

  Former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of Victoria, the Hon Marilyn L Warren AC QC, will be the keynote speaker at the upcoming Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) annual Victoria State Conference being held at the seaside town of Lorne next week.

• Many NSW, VIC survivors of institutional child abuse blocked from just

  9th Mar 2018

  Unnecessarily strict eligibility requirements mean that many of the most vulnerable survivors of institutional child abuse in New South Wales and Victoria will miss out on accessing the Commonwealth’s Redress Scheme, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

• How are costs assessed in your state?

  22nd Feb 2018

  A practical guide to assessing costs in NSW, Queensland and Victoria.

• How does the costs process work in your state?

  1st Feb 2018

  The costs jurisdiction in every state works differently.

• How are costs calculated in your state?

  23rd Nov 2017

  Dipal Prasad and Romaine Abraham evaluate the pros and cons of the ways costs are calculated in various states.

• Life as a regional plaintiff lawyer

  21st Sep 2017

  The benefits and challenges of life as a regional plaintiff lawyer.

• Linton Sayer v Melsteel in the Supreme Court of Victoria, June 2017

  6th Jul 2017

  The plaintiff had been in continuous employment since the age of 16. He commenced employment with the defendant, as a boilermaker, in 2006. As and from 2008, Mr Savage became his supervisor and problems started to occur.

• Medical Treatment Planning And Decisions Act 2016 (Vic)

  29th Jun 2017

  New legislation will come into effect on 12 March 2018 that will repeal the Medical Treatment Act 1988, and amend the Mental Health Act 2014.

• TAC's new client app: MyTAC

  22nd Jun 2017

  The Victorian Transport Accident Commission has produced an app specifically designed for people injured in transport accidents.

• Connellan v Murphy [2017] VSCA 116

  15th Jun 2017

  This recent Supreme Court of Victoria Court of Appeal decision permanently stayed proceedings relating to the alleged sexual assault of a minor in 1968.

• TAC’s new rapid payment scheme

  11th May 2017

  A most welcome and far-sighted scheme is about to be rolled-out by Victoria’s Transport Accident Commission (TAC).

• ‘Special Financial Assistance’ for Victorian victims halved

  4th May 2017

  The VOCAT can only offer victims of the worst crimes, with the worst outcomes, up to $10,000 for any grief, distress, trauma or injury.

• Melbourne wall collapse: compensation under the Sentencing Act

  20th Apr 2017

  Recent compensation settlements involving the families of pedestrians killed by a wall collapse highlight a rarely used avenue of compensation: claims under the Sentencing Act 1991 (Vic).

• Workers compensation and human rights

  13th Apr 2017

  Since the enactment of the Charter of Human Rights and Responsibilities (Charter) in 2006, it has been necessary for Victorian legislation to be compatible with the 20 basic human rights set out in the Charter.

• Group named winner of Victorian Civil Justice Award 2016

  18th May 2016

  Advocacy group 'No Business in Abuse', which placed pressure on the public company contracted to run Australia’s offshore detention camps by targeting its investor base, has been named the winner of the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) Victoria 2016 Civil Justice Award.

• New TAC protocols to be announced at annual Victorian law conference

  10th May 2016

  The launch of the long-awaited Transport Accident Commission (TAC) Protocols will be a highlight of the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) annual Victorian State Conference this week.

• VIC transport-injury law changes restore rights of MVA victims

  15th Apr 2016

  Legislation restoring compensation rights for people in Victoria who suffer serious psychological injuries as a result of motor vehicle accidents is a worthy amendment which will protect the rights of the vulnerable, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

• Vic ombudsman to investigate workers comp claims

  26th Nov 2015

  Bring on the Victorian Ombudsman’s investigation into workers compensation claims, writes Liberty Sanger, Principal at Maurice Blackburn. 

• NSW and VIC govts applauded for supporting national redress scheme

  6th Nov 2015

  The New South Wales and Victorian governments are to be congratulated for being the first states to support a national compensation scheme for victims of institutional child sexual abuse, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

• Changes to prisoner related compensation a cause for concern

  30th Jul 2015

  While the Wrongs Amendment (Prisoner Related Compensation) Act 2015 (VIC) has received some populist approval, criminal law specialist Nicole Spicer explains why it is concerning for a number of reasons.

• Vic Govt applauded: historic day for institutional child abuse victims

  1st Jul 2015

  The Victorian Parliament is to be congratulated for leading the nation in its response to institutional child abuse by introducing legislation removing limitation periods for victims to seek justice, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

• Victoria’s Judge O’Neill to speak at annual law conference

  11th May 2015

  Victorian Judge in Charge of the Common Law Division of the County Court, His Honour Chris O’Neill, and former National Disability Discrimination Commissioner Dr Graeme Innes AM will head a high-powered list of speakers at the upcoming Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) annual State Conference, commencing on Friday 15 May 2015 at 8.30am.

• Changes to Wrongs Act do not go far enough

  30th Oct 2014

  Proposed Victoria State government changes to laws on personal injury compensation are good but do not go far enough to correct anomalies and inconsistencies in the legislation, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

• Good result for Horvath but more needed to secure justice

  23rd Sep 2014

  An apology and ex-gratia payment to police assault victim Corinna Horvath is a welcome development but much more needs to be done by the Victorian Government to prevent similar situations happening again, the Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) said today.

• Victorian Government must take Horvath case seriously

  1st Aug 2014

  The Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) has supported a call for the Victorian Government to take its international obligations seriously, following the Government’s inaction to rectify breaches of the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR).

• ALA backs plan for state-based racial discrimination laws

  11th Jul 2014

  The Australian Lawyers Alliance (ALA) has supported a commitment by the Victorian Opposition to replicate racial discrimination laws in state legislation if they are repealed at a federal level.

• UN condemns inadequate response to police violence

  3rd Jul 2014

  A powerful condemnation of the inadequacy of Victoria’s laws to compensate victims of police violence has been delivered by the United Nations Human Rights Committee.
  
  Hovarth v Australia marks a new opportunity for the Australian and Victorian governments to ensure our laws conform with international human rights obligations, writes Sophie Ellis, solicitor at Flemington and Kensington Legal Centre. 

• ALA VIC Conference returns to Torquay

  16th May 2014

  The annual Australian Lawyers Alliance VIC State Conference returns to Torquay in 2014 on Friday May 16 and Saturday May 17 at Peppers the Sands Resort.

• ALA announces winner of Victorian Civil Justice Award 2014

  16th May 2014

  The Victorian Civil Justice Award 2014 has been awarded to the Flemington and Kensington CLC for their advocacy against police brutality in Victoria.

• Our VIC conference to take place this Friday in Torquay

  13th May 2014

  The annual Australian Lawyers Alliance VIC State Conference returns to Torquay in 2014 on Friday May 16 and Saturday May 17 at Peppers the Sands Resort.

• Napthine Government erodes separation of powers

  3rd Mar 2014

  Individuals injured in a road accident in Victoria may be worse off following legislative changes which will impede access to appeals, writes Geraldine Collins, National President of the Australian Lawyers Alliance.

   

• South Barwon voters say no to TAC changes – ALA

  7th Nov 2013

  Voters in the Liberal-held seat of South Barwon have overwhelmingly voiced their disapproval for planned cuts to the Transport Accident Commission scheme as part of a poll commissioned by the Australian Lawyers Alliance.

• Seymour voters say no to TAC changes – ALA

  7th Nov 2013

  Voters in the Liberal-held seat of Seymour have overwhelmingly voiced their disapproval for planned cuts to the Transport Accident Commission scheme as part of a poll commissioned by the Australian Lawyers Alliance.

• Frankston voters say no to TAC changes – ALA

  7th Nov 2013

  Voters in the Independent seat of Frankston have overwhelmingly voiced their disapproval for planned cuts to the Transport Accident Commission scheme as part of a poll commissioned by the Australian Lawyers Alliance.

• Bentleigh voters say no to TAC changes – ALA

  7th Nov 2013

  Voters in the Liberal-held seat of Bentleigh have overwhelmingly voiced their disapproval for planned cuts to the Transport Accident Commission scheme as part of a poll commissioned by the Australian Lawyers Alliance.

• Marginal electorate poll says ‘no’ to TAC changes

  30th Oct 2013

  Victorian voters are overwhelmingly rejecting planned cuts to the Transport Accident Commission scheme.

• Lack of injury law consultation by Vic Gov

  28th Oct 2013

  “Lack of stakeholder engagement prior to altering long standing Victorian transport accident injury laws, is likely to lead to a costly increase in mental illness in the community,” the Australia Lawyers Alliance National President, Geraldine Collins, warned today.

• Vic's accident victims will suffer if new bill passes – ALA

  17th Oct 2013

  The Australian Lawyers Alliance is concerned that a Bill, before the Victorian Parliament, is changing the definition of what it means to have suffered a serious psychiatric injury. It appears the intent is to save the Transport Accident Commission money at the expense of injured people.

• ALA joins pressure on governments to lift Vic legal aid funding

  14th Aug 2013

  The Australian Lawyers Alliance is backing the Law Institute of Victoria and the Victorian Bar Association’s call for the Victorian and federal governments to immediately review funding for legal aid saying more than a decade of inadequate funding has taken a significant toll on Victorians’ ability to access justice.

• Call for Catholic Church to come clean on real abuse numbers – ALA

  9th Jun 2013

  The Australian Lawyers Alliance is calling on Catholic Church to come clean to the Victorian child sexual abuse inquiry and reveal the accurate number of victims known to it.

• Pell’s apology must be backed up with compensation – ALA

  28th May 2013

  The Australian Lawyers Alliance is calling on the Roman Catholic Church to put its money where its mouth is and use the vast wealth of assets at its disposal to properly compensate victims who fell and continue to fall prey to paedophile priests.

• David Hicks' lawyer to speak at ALA's Victorian Conference

  13th May 2013

  Lawyer, Michael ‘Dan’ Mori, who represented David Hicks against charges of being an enemy combatant of the United States, will speak at The Australian Lawyers Alliance Victorian Conference in Lorne this weekend.

• Doubt cast over Vic Gov plan to outlaw bikie gangs

  21st Nov 2012

  Australian Lawyers Alliance member John Suta, who acts on behalf of nine members of the Wangaratta-based Tramps Motorcycle Club, today expressed serious doubts as to whether the proposed Victorian government legislation, to outlaw bikie gangs, will be legally enforceable in the state.

• ALA cautions against $50 million pledge for more CCTV cameras

  8th Oct 2012

  The Australian Lawyers Alliance says that the pledge by Opposition Leader, Tony Abbott, today, to spend $50 million for additional CCTV cameras around Australia to monitor people’s movements in response to Jill Meagher’s death, does not take account of privacy concerns and potential misuse of cameras to profile groups and individuals.

• ALA cautions that death should not lead to the overuse of surveillance

  29th Sep 2012

  “The greater use of surveillance cameras by the Victorian Police and local government, as announced by Victorian Premier Ted Baillieu today, will not necessarily improve the detection of crime and comes with serious policy implications attached,” Australian Lawyers Alliance director and Criminal Barrister, Greg Barns, said.

• Charitable VIC motorcycle club members are having property confiscated

  26th Sep 2012

  Nine members of the Wangaratta-based Tramps Motorcycle Club have had their firearms, some of which are needed to work jobs and farming properties, confiscated by Victorian Police because of alleged prejudice and false assumption.

• Limiting expert witness use in Vic civil trials may hinder justice

  22nd Jun 2012

  The Australian Lawyers Alliance expressed concern today at news the Victorian Government is introducing new laws to limit and streamline the use of expert evidence in civil trials, fearing it will hinder access to justice in the courts.

• Assange anti-extradition rally

  30th May 2012

  Details released of the Julian Assange anti-extradition rally on Thursday 31 May 2012.

• 'Malaysian solution' challenger to receive ALA Civil Justice Award

  16th May 2012

  The human rights work of leading immigration lawyer, David Manne, who was the lead player in putting an end to the Federal Government’s ‘Malaysian Solution’ will be recognised at the annual Australian Lawyers Alliance Victorian Conference in Lorne this week.

• Victorian WorkCover funds continue to be plundered - ALA

  4th May 2012

  The Australian Lawyers Alliance is concerned that a three percent reduction in Victorian Workers Compensation premiums, while enticing superficially, hides a very black cloud that is floating over the rights of seriously injured workers.

• Removal of Victorian WorkCover funds threatens injured workers - ALA

  10th Feb 2012

  The Australian Lawyers Alliance is concerned that a Victorian government plan to redirect $471.5 million in WorkCover funds away from injured worker compensation and occupational health and safety will result in more injured workers in Victoria being left without adequate care and support.