Margaret McMurdo finished-up as president of the Queensland Court of Appeal on Friday (March 24). Everyone was at the valedictory ceremony, although Timbo Carmody could not be spotted, which was just as well because the president sent a cheerio-call to former premier Campbell Newman and his attacks on the independence of the court – a reference to the appointment of […]

The legal industry has watched the rise of online legal portals where people can type in a problem – be it divorce proceedings, a criminal charge, or a will dispute – and the services reply with a response for a fee. Queensland Law Society president Christine Smyth says more needs to be done to police online legal advice. Speaking about […]

Queensland Law Society has thrown its support behind new legislation designed to make it harder for serious alleged domestic violence offenders to get bail. President Christine Smyth on Thursday (Mar 23) said she was pleased the Queensland Government had adopted some of the key QLS recommendations as part of its freshly minted Bills passed in the early hours of this […]

The Queensland Government has joined with the Queensland Law Society and Community Legal Centres Queensland in calling on the Federal Government to reverse its planned cuts to community legal services. Attorney-General Yvette D’Ath said a proposed $2 million cut to Queensland Community Legal Centres would hit Queenslanders who need the most support. “It is everyday Queenslanders who access these legal […]

Members of the public turning to vigilantism in an attempt to catch out pedophiles have been sent a firm message – “you’re getting in the way of justice”. The warning comes as an increasing number of people, with good intentions but the wrong execution, try to take crime into their own hands and catch out child predators. “We all want […]

THE Queensland Law Society has demanded the State Government “show us the money” regarding crime. The call follows Michael Byrne QC’s annual report for the Director of Public Prosecutions office, which last month called for more resources. QLS president Christine Smyth said while the Queensland Police Service had enjoyed a funding windfall, the justice system had been left behind, creating […]

A SON who “shamelessly sponged’’ on his elderly parents who lent him and his struggling business more than $280,000 will never have to pay them back despite being taken to court. A judge found Murray Berghan “cynically abused’’ his parents’ generosity but they lost their case because they could not prove they had legally enforceable loan agreements with him. Murray, […]