The Supreme Court’s protocol document on COVID-19 Court Operations has been updated and is now available on the Court’s website. Read the protocol here.

Courts, tribunals and service delivery (CTSD) staff have been working closely with the Heads of Jurisdiction and NSW Health to take all reasonable steps and precautions to minimise the risk of transmission of COVID-19 in court buildings. Practitioners are reminded not to attend court if they are unwell. More here.

The Law Society has received an increase in applications from practitioners seeking to establish an incorporated legal practice (ILP). Section 104 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law (NSW) requires that 14 days’ notice of an intention to engage in legal practice as an incorporated legal practice must be provided to the Law Society. Unfortunately, 80 per cent of ILP notices the Registry receives are incomplete. Please ensure you read the notes on pages one and four of the form and then review your s 104 notice before submitting it to the Registry. Incomplete applications will not be processed. The ILP cannot be registered as a law practice on the statutory register and engage in legal practice until it is registered and has the required professional indemnity insurance in place.

Following the commencement of the Strata Schemes Management Amendment COVID-19 Regulation 2020 and the Community Land Management Amendment COVID-19 Regulation 2020 on 5 June 2020, NSW Fair Trading has updated the information provided on its website at Strata and community schemes COVID-19 guidance in relation to matters such as electronic meetings and execution of documents by the owners corporation.

Mental health nurses will be based at Sydney police stations and accompany officers to psychiatric emergencies as part of a new program to help people in a mental health crisis as part of the NSW Government’s COVID-19 mental health package. More here.

Businesses will be able to check, test and promote their COVID Safe credentials with the launch of the NSW Government’s online COVID Safe Check. More here.

The Rent Choice Start Safely program will provide domestic violence victims with safe and secure housing during COVID-19. More here.

The Court of Appeal ruling (Raul Bassi v Commissioner of Police) authorising last weekend’s public rally in the Sydney CBD, and overturning a Supreme Court decision, is available here.

Gyms, indoor pools, yoga and dance studios will be able to reopen across NSW from this Saturday, 13 June 2020 and community sport for all ages will return from Wednesday 1 July 2020. More here.

The temporary Early Childhood Education and Care Relief Package, introduced on 6 April as part of the Federal Government’s response to COVID-19, will end on 12 July 2020 and the Child Care Subsidy will be reintroduced. More details here.

The $150,000 instant asset write-off for small businesses will be extended for six months to 31 December 2020. More here.

Filled jobs fell by 0.1 per cent and hours worked by 0.8 per cent between the December and March quarters, according to figures released today by the Australian Bureau of Statistics. The Labour Account shows the extent of the early impacts from COVID-19 on jobs and hours across the first quarter of the year. More here.