Page 2584 - Week 09 - Tuesday, 25 September 2007

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Legal Profession Amendment Bill 2007

Debate resumed from 30 August 2007, on motion by Mr Corbell:

That this bill be agreed to in principle.

MR SESELJA (Molonglo) (10.56): The Legal Profession Amendment Bill is an important piece of legislation for the ACT, in part because it embraces a national model. It adopts a national approach that achieves uniformity and certainty for the legal profession and, more importantly, clients of the legal profession.

This national model has been developed over a considerable period by the National Legal Profession Model Laws Joint Working Party, in consultation with a wide range of stakeholders. In the ACT, these stakeholders have included the ACT Law Society and the Bar Association, who, in this process, have probably been the most proactive stakeholders in the nation. Many of the amendments respond to concerns raised by law societies, bar associations and the Law Council of Australia about protection given to clients, practitioners and other people who may be affected by the operation of the legislation.

Costs disclosure and trust account provisions, in particular, underwent significant review. For example, and subject to a 30-day limit, clients not classed as “sophisticated” clients now can request a higher level of accountability from their lawyers through the provision of itemised bills once the bill exceeds a regulated

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