Program Overview

• Criminal Law Conference – Essential Advocacy Stream - Friday 07 Aug
  • 8:50 AM Webinar Launch
    The webinar will launch ten minutes before the conference begins. Log in early to test your settings and familiarise yourself with webinar features.
  • 9:00 AM Conference Opening and Welcome
  • 9:10 AM Keynote Address – Coordinating the Jurisdictions during COVID-19

    With Victoria’s courts having actively changed the way they operate in response to the COVID-19 pandemic and longer-term technological change underway, collaboration and ongoing coordination between all jurisdictions has been key.

    As the coordination point between all Victorian criminal courts, the legal profession and criminal justice stakeholders, His Honour Judge Cain’s work has been integral during this time. In this session, hear His Honour speak about current and future coordination initiatives between Victorian criminal courts, the technology solutions that will be part of this and the plans for a measured return of the criminal justice sector to ‘normal’ operations.

    This session includes a 10-minute Q&A with His Honour Judge Cain.

    Compliance area: Substantive Law

    Keynote Speaker: His Honour Judge John Cain, State Coroner

  • 9:50 AM Wellbeing Break
  • 10:00 AM Judge-only Trials in a Post-COVID-19 World

    In this session, His Honour Chief Judge Peter Kidd, County Court of Victoria addresses the following:

    • How do judge-only trials work in practice? What can practitioners expect from them?
    • Impacts on rights of the accused
    • Plans to retain judge-only trials post-COVID – how and in what capacity?

    
    

    Compliance area: Substantive Law

    Presenter: His Honour Chief Judge Peter Kidd, County Court of Victoria

  • 10:30 AM Morning Tea Break, Featuring Wellbeing Session Hosted By Legalite
  • 10:45 AM Challenges & Opportunities in the Magistrates’ Court

    This sessions addresses the following topics:

    • Current issues in the Magistrates’ Court – operations, technology and practice directions
    • The future of Webex use and the practice directions to come
    • The Chief Magistrate’s vision for the Court and future plans – what this means for practitioners

    
    

    Compliance area: Substantive Law

    Presenters:

    • Her Honour Chief Magistrate Lisa Hannan, Magistrates' Court of Victoria
    • His Honour Magistrate Timothy Bourke, Magistrates' Court of Victoria
  • 11:35 AM Wellbeing Break
  • 11:40 AM Therapeutic Jurisprudence: Exploring the possibilities in a post pandemic world

    Recognising that crime has a social dimension, therapeutic jurisprudence takes into account the context and issues that have led to offenders’ harmful behaviour. It aims to halt the social and intergenerational aspect of crime by addressing its causes and providing offenders with the tools and support to avoid further reoffending.

    But how does all of this translate to criminal law practice in a post-COVID world?

    In this session, Her Honour Magistrate Spencer and Tania Wolff will discuss how therapeutic jurisprudence can support court excellence and the quality of criminal practice as we strive to respond and recover from the impacts of COVID.  

    Topics include:

    • Therapeutic jurisprudence – how is it evident in court practice and processes?
    • Challenges and opportunities for practitioners
    • How Procedural Justice principles can guide court craft and criminal practice.

    
    

    Compliance area: Substantive Law

    Presenters: 

    • Her Honour Magistrate Pauline Spencer, Magistrates’ Court of Victoria
    • Tania Wolff, Principal Lawyer, First Step Legal; LIV President-Elect and LIV Council member
      
  • 12:05 PM Wellbeing Break
  • 12:10 PM Managing the Psychology of Sustained Disruption: Practical strategies to protect our mental and physical wellbeing through the ongoing transitions of COVID-19

    There is a growing need to sustain our wellbeing over the long term particularly as we endure further lockdowns in Victoria. In doing so we need to support our own sense of wellness, our ability to respond to others with empathy, and to meet the demands of work and home life.  Considering the very real challenges at this time, this session unpacks 5 practical strategies to help us maintain our attention, energy, wellbeing and focus including: Clear space, Creative management, Concentration, Compassion and Connection. Guidance for establishing care and support into the future will also be discussed.

    Compliance area: Practice Management & Business Skills

    Presenter: Dr Sarah Cotton, Transitioning Well Pty Ltd

  • 12:40 PM Lunch
  • 1:05 PM STREAM 2: Advocacy Tips & Tricks for Ground Rules Hearings

    This session panelled by members of the LIV’s Criminal Law Executive Committee will provide helpful tips and tricks to hone your advocacy skills in relation to ground rules hearings, together with practical advice as to how you can target your advocacy to achieve better outcomes for your clients.

    Topics include:

    • Cross-examination tips for ground rules hearings
    • Dealing with disclosure in ground rules hearings
    • Intermediaries and your client – what types of questions to ask intermediaries, how to manage situations where an intermediary may get too involved, how vulnerable a person has to be for intermediary use and how to test for that

    
    

    Compliance area: Professional Skills

    Presenters:

    • Kristina Kothrakis, Partner, Doogue + George Defence Lawyers
    • Josh Taffe, Director & In-House Counsel, Doogue + George Defence Lawyers
      

    
    

    See details for Stream 1 breakout session, Meet the Judicial Registrars.

  • 1:50 PM Wellbeing Break
  • 2:00 PM STREAM 2: The View from the Bench: Magistrates Panel

    You are now appearing via Webex in the busy Magistrates’ Court….do you know what is expected and required of you?

    In this session, magistrates will discuss their expectations of practitioners appearing before the Court online and provide tips on how to effectively prepare for their appearances, including observations about common pitfalls and shortcomings.

    This interactive panel session will include Q&A between attendees and members of the magistracy and will cover topics including:

    • Effective case management in the current practice environment – how practitioners can effectively manage their cases to enable the Court to do as much as possible beforehand and ensure hearings are useful time for all parties
    • Online advocacy from a magistrate’s perspective – how to effectively communicate with the magistrate and your client when conducting matters online
      

    
    

    Compliance area: Professional Skills

    Presenters:

    • Magistrate Marita Altman
    • Magistrate Trieu Huynh
    • Magistrate Timothy Gattuso

    
    

    See details for Stream 1 breakout session, Legal Aid & Prosecutions: Updates and Insights.

  • 2:55 PM Afternoon Tea Break
  • 3:05 PM Corrections During COVID-19

    Covering key initiatives implemented by corrections arising from COVID-19 including the changes that are here to stay, this session will provide an update on developments in this area and their significance for accused persons.

    Topics include:

    • Current initiatives and changes to Victoria’s corrections system
    • Any upcoming or proposed changes
    • Prisoner feedback on the changes made as a result of COVID-19

    
    Compliance area: Substantive Law

    Presenters:

    • Maurice Stuckey, Policy Lawyer, Law Institute of Victoria
    • Melissa Westin, Assistant Commissioner of Corrections Victoria
  • 3:35 PM Wellbeing Break, Hosted By Legalite
  • 3:45 PM Ethics in Criminal Law Practice

    Requiring a sharp and consistent ethical compass, navigating the ethical issues faced by lawyers in criminal law practice is no easy task.

    This session will cover the challenging ethical issues faced by criminal lawyers as well as practical strategies to overcome these issues, focusing particularly on how to balance your paramount duty to the Court and the administration of justice while advocating fearlessly for your client.

    Compliance area: Ethics & Professional Responsibility

    Presenters:

    • Donna Cooper, Head of Ethics, Wellbeing and Practitioner Support, Law Institute of Victoria
    • Michael Dolan, Special Counsel, Ethics and Professional Practice, Law Institute of Victoria
  • 4:45 PM Conference Close
  • 4:50 PM Virtual Wine Tasting & Informal Networking
    Following the conference, enjoy a virtual wine tasting led by Matt Lugg from Wine Talks. Network with colleagues and support our Victorian winemakers at this innovative event. Additional details below. Register by Monday 3 August to participate.