Tuesday, 5 April 2022
The Law Society of Western Australia has welcomed the announcement by the State Attorney General, the Hon John Quigley MLA, that the Uniform Law Application Bills have passed the WA Parliament. The passage of amendments through both the Legislative Council and Legislative Assembly means that Western Australia will join New South Wales and Victoria as a Uniform Law jurisdiction. It is anticipated the scheme will become operational from 1 July 2022 following further consultation with stakeholders.
Uniform Law harmonises regulation of the legal profession, cuts red tape and creates a single system to govern legal practice. Law Society President Rebecca Lee said, “The Law Society has been in favour of Western Australia adopting the Legal Profession Uniform Law for many years. A single, uniform set of professional conduct rules providing inter-jurisdictional consistency can only benefit consumers of legal services, the legal profession and regulators, especially with national and international firms now being commonplace.
“This is an exciting change to the regulation of the Legal Profession and the Law Society will continue to support our members to navigate the new regime.”
The Law Society has also developed resources to assist the West Australian profession in preparing for the changes brought about by the Uniform Law. The Law Society has already run a series of CPD Seminars on Uniform Law, and will continue to host seminars on topical Uniform Law matters such as Costs Disclosure, Complaints and Conduct Rules. Visit the CPD Seminars section of the Law Society website for more information.
Read the full media statement here: bit.ly/3uYoi1J
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For comment please contact:
Madeleine McErlain
Manager Corporate Communications
(08) 9324 8650
mmcerlain@lawsocietywa.asn.au
The Law Society of Western Australia is the peak professional association for lawyers in the State. The Society is a not-for-profit association dedicated to the representation of its more than 4,000 members. The Society enhances the legal profession through its position as a respected leader and contributor on law reform, access to justice and the rule of law. The Society is widely acknowledged by the legal profession, government and the community as the voice of the legal profession in Western Australia.
