The Law Society’s role in providing respectful and robust advocacy has positioned us as a trusted source of advice for government.

At this week’s Drug Summit in Sydney, we will be advocating for increased availability of services, underpinned by the understanding that drug misuse is a health and social issue. We have advocated successfully for the expansion of Drug Courts and the Magistrates Early Referral into Treatment program, and we will continue to encourage the Government to make further investments in these and other diversionary programs.

Perhaps even more important is ensuring the ready availability of rehabilitation services for people affected by drug misuse, including community-based, culturally effective services.

Investments in these facilities, particularly in regional, rural and remote areas, will contribute to improved community safety and relieve strain on the police and courts. I, and Senior Vice President Jennifer Ball, look forward to taking part in the Drug Summit this week. We thank members of the Criminal Law, Children’s Legal Issues, Indigenous Issues and Human Rights Committees who contributed to the submission we have provided to the Drug Summit.

The evidence-based approach and investment for which we will advocate should go a long way towards improving outcomes for people impacted by drug use in our community.

AML/CTF Bill passes

Last week, the Commonwealth Parliament passed the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Amendment Bill 2024, which will require lawyers engaged in transactional work to comply with a range of obligations to prevent money laundering and counter-terrorism financing.

The Law Council of Australia (LCA) responded to the passage of the Bill in a media release, expressing support for “efforts to disrupt money laundering and the atrocious crimes connected with it”.

The Law Society played an active role in informing the LCA’s advocacy to the Commonwealth Government on this important issue. There remain, however, concerns about aspects of the Bill that may impact on the relationship of trust between lawyer and client, and the additional, costly regulatory burden, particularly on small practices.

We support the LCA’s ongoing efforts to “work with the Government to ensure the changes wrought by this Bill are implemented as effectively as possible and the cost burden for legal practitioners and clients is minimised”, and we are working with AUSTRAC in the hope that supporting rules and guidance produced by the regulator will be informed as to the unique role and obligations of solicitors.