Queensland Law Society is a step closer to the first draft of its 2024 Call to Parties (CTP) statement, with a successful round of focus groups delivering important and well-informed feedback on the issues that matter to members.
With less than 12 months until Queenslanders head to the polls, the Society has been seeking feedback from the state’s legal profession since August.
Members participated in nine on-line focus groups last month, with regional representation from members based on the Gold Coast up to Cairns.
Each group covered a specific topic ranging from child protection and youth justice to domestic and family violence (including elder abuse), to supporting legal practice, access to justice, sustainability and climate change, and property development and infrastructure.
The CTP underpins the Society’s dedication to staying ahead of the curve when it comes to policy and advocacy. It calls on candidates to consider and deliver commitments on the priority issues our members have identified during the consultation process.
A snapshot of the feedback received by the hosting QLS Legal Policy team reveals members’ opinions reflect long-standing QLS advocacy positions, the diversity of our members’ practice areas, and the communities within which they work.
Topics included:
- Urgent prioritisation of electronic filing for all state courts, tribunals and commissions and modernisation of courts and registries systems and infrastructure
- Progress on the statutory review of the Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal Act 2009 (QCAT Act) and increased funding to QCAT and related service and legal assistance providers
- Maintaining the stability of injury compensation schemes and access to common law damages without impairment thresholds
- Increased and ongoing resourcing of existing projects and funding for new projects, processes and programs to address the overrepresentation of First Nations People in the criminal justice system
- Expansion and sufficient resourcing of diversionary options for adults, including a significant increase in resourcing of restorative justice and justice mediation options
- Raising the minimum age of criminal responsibility to at least 14 years
- Continued discussion around nationally consistent, financial Enduring Power of Attorney (EPOA) laws
- Reform regarding the use of restrictive practices in aged care and harmonisation between State and Commonwealth frameworks
- Review and modernisation of the Retirement Villages Act 1999 (Qld) and an improved overarching strategy for retirement villages and manufactured homes; and
- The proposed reforms to sunset clauses to apply to all off-the-plan contracts both for the sale of land and community title scheme lots, so any seller seeking to rely on a sunset clause must comply with the process of obtaining buyer consent or an order from the Supreme Court.
The Legal Policy team thanked those members who participated and contributed their time and suggestions to the focus groups.
The next step in the process is a consultation draft of the CTP statement, prepared in consultation with QLS legal policy teams, for consideration and approval by QLS council.
Members will be invited to provide input on a consultation draft of the statement once it has been approved by council early in 2024.
The final CTP statement will then be approved by council for publication and distribution in or around June 2024.
If you have any general queries in relation to the Call to Parties, please get in touch via email to calltoparties2024@qls.com.au at any stage. Member contributions and expertise are central to QLS advocacy work.
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