Latest edition of the Court of Appeal’s Decisions of Interest bulletin
The Decisions of Interest bulletin is a regular publication produced by the Court of Appeal, summarising appellate decisions from Australia and internationally. Read the latest bulletin here.

Election of Councillors – Notice of Forthcoming Election
There are seven vacancies to be filled by election in the upcoming 2020 Council Election: one Large Firm Councillor, one City Councillor, one Suburban Councillor, one Government Councillor, and three Councillors (with each position for a three-year term). The eighth vacancy is to be filled by the appointment of a Young Lawyer Councillor for a one-year term in accordance with clause 8.1.8 of the Law Society’s Articles of Association. Nominations for the 2020 Council Election must be received by the Company Secretary of the Law Society not later than 4.00pm on Monday 21 September 2020. View the notice of election.

District Court Practice Notes Civil No 1; Civil No 7 and Criminal No 20 commencement date 31 August 2020
His Honour Justice Derek Price AO, the Chief Judge of the District Court of NSW, has issued an updated District Court Practice Notes Civil No 1, Civil No 7 and Criminal Practice Note No 20, which have been Gazetted and commence on Monday 31 August 2020.

Regulation of litigation funding schemes
Amendments to the Corporations Regulations 2001 (Cth) took effect on 22 August 2020, providing for the regulation of litigation funding schemes as managed investment schemes. The Legal Services Council has amended the Legal Profession Uniform General Rules 2015 with effect from 22 August 2020 so the prohibitions in s 258(1) and (3) of the Legal Profession Uniform Law do not apply in relation to litigation funding schemes now regulated as managed investment schemes. The new rule will operate for 12 months to allow for consultation. The NSW Legal Services Commissioner has also confirmed he will not take disciplinary action in relation to breaches of rule 41 of the Legal Profession Uniform Law Australian Solicitors’ Conduct Rules 2015 where they relate to a litigation funding scheme covered by the amended Legal Profession Uniform General Rules 2015. See the Legal Services Council website for more information.

Consultation on interest payable on fidelity fund claims
The Legal Services Council has issued a consultation paper proposing a new formula to calculate the interest payable on fidelity fund claims made under the Legal Profession Uniform Law. The interest rate is fixed at 5 per cent by s 243(2) of the Uniform Law in the absence of specific provision in the Uniform General Rules. More information is available on the Legal Services Council website.

An investigation into the effectiveness of ATO communications of taxpayers' rights to review, investigate and appeal
The Inspector-General of Taxation and Taxation Ombudsman (IGTO) is investigating how effectively the Australian Taxation Office communicates appropriate information on taxpayers’ rights to review, complain and appeal decisions made and actions taken by the ATO. More information is available on the IGTO website. You can access a short survey here.

Legal representative escalation process
The ATO recently reviewed the way it engages with legal practitioners representing clients in relation to tax and superannuation matters. As part of this review, the ATO consulted with legal practitioners to better understand the role they typically play with respect to taxation and superannuation and their priorities and timelines when dealing with the ATO. Please refer to the escalation process for time restrain cases or when a notice is received from the ATO regarding an error in documents.
Key points:

• This escalation service is available when you are acting on behalf of your client in relation to Director Penalty Notices (DPN’s), S459e Statutory Demands, Windup Notices, Judgement Notices, Summons, Creditor’s Petitions, or Bankruptcy Notices.
• This service is only available in instances where there is an error in a document/notice, or there is less than five business days for a response. Additional information for legal practitioners can be found on ato.gov.au.

Diary note: Annual General Meeting
The Annual General Meeting of the Law Society of New South Wales will be held on Thursday 22 October 2020 at 4.30pm.

SIRA Claims Cost Disclosure Portal is live
Claim Cost Disclosures under the Motor Accidents Injuries Act 2017 to be lodged via the online DRS Legal Portal has launched and is now live. Register here for training.

Motor Accidents Compensation Regulation 2020
The new Regulation will come into effect on 1 September 2020 and applies to claims made prior to 1 December 2017. Regulated fees will be indexed in line with Consumer Price Index. The Regulation does not affect claims that occurred on or after 1 December 2017. Read more here