Government Lawyers Conference

Program Overview

• WEBINAR | Government Lawyers Conference - Friday 19 Jun
  • 9:00 AM Conference Opening and Welcome
  • 9:05 AM Keynote – Opening Address by the Attorney-General, The Honourable Jill Hennessy
  • 9:35 AM Keynote – Rapidly Responding to Change: The public sector stepping out into a ‘Brave New World’ post COVID-19

    The United Nations recently stated COVID-19 presents a risk to key dimensions of national institutions including, ‘limiting transparency and access to information, eroding safeguards to accountability including integrity violations, fraud corruption, and restricting participation and engagement’.

    As the health and financial impacts of the coronavirus (COVID-19) continue to unfold, public sector organisations have had to quickly adapt to rapid changes to their working and operational environments.

    These changes have accelerated opportunities for the public sector to innovate and evolve in order to minimise the impact of the pandemic and future emergencies on the community. These responses also raise issues for record keeping, access to information, information privacy and data security and government transparency during a crisis.

    This session will provide an insight into how the Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner has adapted in order to continuing regulating how the Victorian public sector collects, uses and shares information. It will also provide practical insights to assist your agency or clients to comply with their statutory obligations, including under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Vic) and Privacy and Data Protection Act 2014 (Vic).

    Compliance Area: Substantive Law / Practice Management

    Keynote Speaker: Joanne Kummrow, Public Access Deputy Commissioner, Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner, Accredited Specialist, Administrative Law

     

  • 10:15 AM Morning Tea Break
  • 10:30 AM Climate & Environmental Emergency & the Public Sector Response

    The impact of the summer bushfires continues for many Victorians. With the Environment Protection Amendment Act 2018 (postponed from 1 July 2020 to 1 July 2021), the public sector will be better equipped than ever to meet the environmental challenges facing Victoria and prevent harm to the environment and public health.

    Discover how the Environment Protection Authority Victoria will work together with other key public sector departments and local councils to implement risk management strategies by issuing stronger sanctions and penalties.

    Also gain unique insights on the general environmental duty (GED) and the impact it will have on your clients especially as it is criminally enforceable.

    Compliance area: Substantive Law / Practice Management

    Presenters:

    • Louise Paech, Assistant General Counsel, EPA
    • Indra Soysa, Principal Solicitor, EPA

     

  • 11:15 AM Wellbeing Break
  • 11:20 AM Policies & Regulation in Action: Now and tomorrow

    An emergency is accompanied by considerable social and economic disruption, largely effecting people’s work and their finances. 

    In this session, we bring together representatives from Worksafe Victoria and the Australian Securities and Investment Commission, where they will highlight their priorities over the coming months and what this means for you and your practice. This interactive session will also analyse the future issues and legal implications that may arise from the policies being implemented for the short-term and discuss how you might deal with it.  

    Compliance area: Substantive Law / Practice Management

    Presenters:

    • Tom Lynch, Legal Counsel, WorkSafe Victoria
    • Warren Day, Regional Commissioner – Victoria, Executive Director, Assessment and Intelligence, ASIC
  • 12:20 PM Lunch & Networking
    Breakout rooms will be open during the lunch break so you may network and discuss the morning sessions with fellow participants. Turn on your camera and microphone to participate.
  • 12:50 PM Innovation in Motion

    The recent crisis’ has forced us to adapt to technology and operate business as usual in ways like never before. For the public sector, it’s made challenging given the siloed platforms that prevent collaboration, highlighting critical gaps in the sharing of data.

    Discover how the Public Sector Innovation Branch is supporting this new world of work in this interactive session.

    Share your unique challenges, from systems to knowledge management, and walk away with key insights on overcoming them by putting innovative processes in practice.

    Compliance area: Practice Management

    Presenter: Fiona Grinwald, Director, Public Sector Innovation, Department of Premier and Cabinet

  • 1:30 PM Wellbeing Break
  • 1:40 PM Treaty – Context, Issues & Future Challenges

    As the Treaty advancement process enters its exciting next phase and public sector organisations commit to self-determination in their work with Aboriginal communities, this session will provide a holistic overview of the Treaty including:

    • Understanding the treaty context and timeline in Victoria
    • The role of the First Peoples’ Assembly
    • The treaty legislative framework – including Treaty Elements & Guiding Principles
    • How to put the Guiding Principles into action
    • The big legal issues – including sovereignty
    • Challenges for the future

    
    

    Compliance area: Substantive Law

    Presenter: Elly Patira, Executive Director, Treaty, Department of Premier & Cabinet

  • 2:30 PM Afternoon Tea
  • 2:40 PM Pressure-Proofing Strategies for the Public Sector

    Government Lawyers frequently cite ‘conflicting priorities’ as their biggest challenge, which is further magnified in the current circumstances. While you may not be able to reduce your workload or commitments, effective time management strategies can help you achieve improved outcomes for your clients which can also lead to a greater job satisfaction, lower stress and better overall mental health.
    Discover the correlation between successful time management and the perception of time, whilst learning strategies to maximise your productivity and wellbeing.

    Compliance area: Professional Skills

    Presenter: Desi Vlahos, Legal Practitioner and Lecturer, College of Law

  • 3:40 PM Wellbeing Break
  • 3:45 PM Ethical Dilemmas in the Evolving Government Sector Landscape

    Michael will deliver a one-hour, highly interactive seminar on the typical ethical issues encountered by government lawyers. Topics discussed will include your duty to the court and administration of justice, who is your client, maintaining integrity and independence, protecting client legal privilege, avoiding conflict of interest, and what it means to be a model litigant. Michael will engage the audience by posing a series of de-identified, real life ethical dilemmas and will encourage members of the audience to discuss and debate the best practice solution to each dilemma.

    In a speech given on 23 June 2017, former Victorian Chief Justice The Hon. Marilyn Warren AC said:

    “Government lawyers are advisers to the government but not part of it. The role is fundamental to the rule of law. While closely associated with government, government lawyers remain fundamentally separate from it and provide the first check on any abuse of executive power….The role of the government lawyer is important. It matters. Governments may make ‘political’ mistakes with legal consequences. The role of the government lawyer is to provide strong, sometimes courageous, accurate and independent legal advice.”

    Compliance area: Ethics & Professional Responsibility

    Presenter: Michael Dolan, Special Counsel, Ethics and Professional Practice, Law Institute of Victoria

  • 4:45 PM Webinar Close