The Chief Magistrate, the Hon Judge Graeme Henson AM, has issued the following clarification for COVID-19 arrangements for review of bail. Read here.

The Chief Judge, the Hon Justice Derek Price AM, has issued an updated contact sheet for judges determining bail variations, which can also be located on the District Court website.

The courts have been rapidly transitioning to a model whereby the bulk of work is undertaken remotely using telephone or videoconferencing platforms, such as Microsoft Teams. In limited circumstances where a matter is heard in person, parties and practitioners must adhere to the courts’ In-Court Protocol. This Protocol adopts social distancing measures by limiting the amount of people in each courtroom; capping the duration of hearings with any cohort to 1.5 hours; and ensuring persons in the courtroom are at least 1.5 to 2 metres apart all times. Similar measures have been adopted in relation to interviews with Family Consultants. These protocols and other measures can be found on the Family Court of Australia and Federal Circuit Court of Australia websites. To assist parties and their practitioners in participating in hearings remotely, the Courts have issued a Joint Practice Direction that introduces a number of measures in regard to electronic filing of documents, subpoena viewing, annexures to affidavits, electronic signatures and the deferral of fee payments. 

The Chief Justice of the Federal Court, the Hon James Allsop AO, has issued the following update on disruptions to Admiralty Registers,  Bankruptcy Registers and Native Title Registers. Read here.

The Australian Government is making $123 million available over two financial years for targeted measures to support Indigenous businesses and communities to increase their responses to COVID-19. Read more here.

Practising certificate renewals launch on 7 April. Law Society Registry will experience a high volume of calls after this time. Please be patient. The Phillip Street premises are currently closed, but measures have been implemented to ensure minimal disruption to Law Society operations and services, with a particular focus on the renewals process. Staff are working remotely and are available Mon-Fri, 9am-5pm, on (02) 9926 0156 or registry@lawsociety.com.au. Read more updates about PC renewals here.

Service providers are experiencing increases in demand on the mobile network and this is expected to continue. Telstra has reported that mobile call volumes on certain routes and geographies are up by more than 50 per cent and they are working with Optus to fast-track upgrades to their interconnection capabilities. Some practitioners may thus experience remote access problems when contacting the Law Society or during the PC and membership online renewal process. Please bear with us in these challenging times.

The Federal Government has launched a new Jobs Hub to highlight which businesses and organisations have multiple jobs on offer. An up-to-date list of a selection of businesses and organisations that are currently hiring, and how to contact them, can be found at here. Minister for Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business, Senator the Hon Michaelia Cash said the Government was continuing to do everything it could to keep Australians connected to the workforce at this time. Read her statement here.

Not feeling great? Being in isolation and adapting to our new way of life can be tough. We have developed resources on mental health and wellbeing here, and LSJ Online has a whole section dedicated to lawyers’ wellness.

Don’t forget the Virtual Sydney Law Careers Fair on 3 April. The Law Society has invited students from across the state through social media platforms, law faculties and careers teams. The fair kicks off tomorrow from 11am – 2pm. For instructions on how to participate, click here.