Effective and Co-Operative Law Reform in Smaller Jurisdictions: SALRI Trip to Tasmania

SALRI at Tas Govt House

SALRI dinner with Her Excellency, Professor the Honourable Kate Warner, Governor of Tasmania (founder of TLRI), Mr Warner and Associate Professor Terese Henning (former Director, TLRI)

The independent South Australian Law Reform Institute (SALRI) based at the Adelaide University Law School recently visited Tasmania as part of ongoing joint research and law reform projects with the Tasmanian Law Reform Institute (TLRI) based at the University of Tasmania Law School.

Professor John Williams (SALRI Director), Dr David Plater (SALRI Deputy Director) and the Hon Geoff Muecke (former Chief Judge of the District Court and Adjunct Professor at the Adelaide Law School) were made very welcome in Tasmania for what proved to be a very productive trip.  

A focus of the trip were SALRI's topical references to examine witness competence,  the right to a modern fair trial before an impartial jury in light of social media and especially the role and effect of intermediaries to support vulnerable parties in and out of court. The Tasmanian intermediary model commenced on 1 March 2021 and SALRI was able to join a training session for Tasmanian intermediaries.  

SALRI also met with Chief Justice Blow, Justice Brett and Justice Wood of the Supreme Court of Tasmania, Michael 'Hilly' Hill (former Chief Magistrate), Amber Mignot of the Tasmanian Attorney-General’s Department, Kim Baumeler (leading local defence lawyer), Daryl Coates (Tasmanian DPP), Dr Brendan Gogarty (Acting Director of the TLRI), Associate Professor Terese Henning (former Director of the TLRI), Professor Gino Dal Pont (Acting Dean of the UTAS Law School), Professor Kate Darian Smith (Executive Dean of the College of Arts, Law and Education), Dr Kate Cashman, Dr Helen Cockburn and Dr Caroline Spiranovic as well as others. SALRI would like to thank all parties for their erudite input.  

The highlight of SALRI's visit was attending a dinner at Government House with the Governor of Tasmania, Professor Kate Warner, and Mr Warner. SALRI would like to thank Her Excellency for her generosity.   

SALRI is based on the TLRI model (founded by Professor Kate Warner) and there are longstanding links between the two law reform bodies. The logic of effective and co-operative law reform between smaller jurisdictions such as Tasmania and South Australia is compelling.

Tagged in Impact, Research, News, South Australian Law Reform Institute

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