In our season finale for 2024, we have the immense honour of speaking with the Honourable Justice Michael Kirby AC CGM.

Michael Kirby is a man who needs no introduction. He was called to the Bar in 1967, and in 1975, became the youngest man to hold a federal judicial office when he was appointed as the Deputy President of the Australian Conciliation and Arbitration Commission. Later that year he was also appointed as the inaugural Chair of the Australian Law Reform Commission.

In 1983, he was appointed as a judge of the Federal Court of Australia and in 1984, became the President of the New South Wales Court of Appeal. There he served until 1996, when he was appointed as a Justice of the High Court of Australia, a position he held until his retirement from the bench in 2009. In addition to his immense impact on Australia’s jurisprudence, Michael Kirby's career has been marked by a commitment to human rights law reform and social justice.

On this episode of The Callover, we discussed his reflections on what has been truly remarkable career and hope for the future of the legal profession.

Read more about Justice Kirby here: https://www.michaelkirby.com.au/

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On this episode of The Callover, we speak with Ben Ihle KC, about what sports law actually is and the key legal issues that arise within it.

Ben was admitted in 2004, called to the bar the following year and made silk in 2020. He has cultivated a broad practice with a particular focus on tort, criminal, administrative and sports law and appears at both trial and appellate levels. He is recognised internationally as a leading sports lawyer, and regularly represents athletes and sporting associations domestically and internationally, in a variety of tribunals (including the FIFA Dispute Resolution Chamber, the AFL Tribunal and Appeals Board and before the Court of Arbitration for Sport).

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On this episode of The Callover, we speak with Gavin Rebetzke about the key principles of defamation law, along with some of the recent cases in this space. Gavin grew up in Townsville, studied at James Cook University and the University of Queensland before undertaking his articles at Roberts & Kane Solicitors in 1993. He was admitted in 1995 and continued to work in that general practice in Brisbane, where he later became partner in 2000.  In 2007, Gavin was called to the Bar and has been practicing in a variety of matters since, with a special interest in defamation.

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As we continue this month of promoting health and wellbeing in the profession, we speak with Tim Franklin, the lawyer turned ultra-marathon runner, triathlon coach and motivational speaker who has recently become one of 8 people to have quite literally run around the world.

Join us as we discuss his incredible adventure and what we, as a profession, can learn from it.

Stay connected! Follow us for new episode releases: https://www.instagram.com/qldlawsociety/

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Palwasha Nawabi is part of a generation of young lawyers seeking to make a positive impact on society. In 2023, Palwasha was awarded the Law Council of Australia – Australian Young Lawyers Award in recognition of her significant achievement in leading the operational and administrative aspect of a pro bono initiative which resulted in the successful procurement of 90 subclass 449 visas for many Afghan women and their families and permanent residence visas for those who chose to settle in Australia.

Listen more episodes here:https://www.qls.com.au/Membership/The-Hub/The-Callover

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To mark RUOK Day 2024, we speak with Desi Vlahos, a lawyer, academic and two-time recipient of the Women in Law Award for “Wellness Advocate of the Year”.

As a mental health first aider, the founder of Wellceum, a company that aims to help other organisations improve wellbeing, health and safety outcomes, and a Commissioner of the International Bar Associations’ Wellbeing Commission, Desi has dedicated her career to tackling poor mental health among lawyers globally.

On this episode of The Callover, join us as we speak about the current state of the profession and how we can do more to increase mental wellbeing across the profession.

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Palwasha Nawabi is part of a generation of young lawyers seeking to make a positive impact on society. In 2023, Palwasha was awarded the Law Council of Australia – Australian Young Lawyers Award in recognition of her significant achievement in leading the operational and administrative aspect of a pro bono initiative which resulted in the successful procurement of 90 subclass 449 visas for many Afghan women and their families and permanent residence visas for those who chose to settle in Australia.

Listen more episodes here:https://www.qls.com.au/Membership/The-Hub/The-Callover

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In celebration of NAIDOC Week, we have the pleasure of speaking with the Honourable Justice Lincoln Crowley.

His Honour grew up in Charters Towers and is a proud descendant of the Warramunga peoples. Since joining the legal profession in 1996, Justice Crowley has had a varied and impressive career. He has worked at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service in Townsville, for the Queensland and Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions, within the New South Wales’ Crown Solicitors’ Office, at the private bar and as the senior counsel assisting the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability.

In 2018, Justice Crowley became the first Indigenous person to be appointed as Queen's Counsel in Queensland, and on 13 June 2022, became Australia’s first Indigenous judge of a superior court when he was appointed to the Supreme Court of Queensland.

On this episode of The Callover, we discuss his life in the law and why representation and diversity are important within the legal profession.

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Nicky Davies is a Family Lawyer, Independent Children’s Lawyer, and Chief Executive Officer of Legal Aid Queensland. Earlier this year, she was recognised for her contribution to the legal profession when she was awarded the Queensland Law Society’s President’s Medal. On this episode of The Callover, we discuss the work of Legal Aid and explore the important role that independent children’s lawyers play in in court proceedings.

Find the transcript here.

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The Robodebt Scheme, introduced in late 2016, used income averaging techniques derived from data held by the ATO to raise debts and implement a reverse onus on recipients to disprove the amounts owed. The Scheme was ultimately found to have been unlawful and the failings of the scheme were far reaching.

On this episode of The Callover, hear from Justin Greggery KC, the Senior Counsel Assisting in the Royal Commission into Robodebt Scheme as he explains what lawyers should learn from the Royal Commission’s findings.

Justin has been practicing for over 20 years. From 2000 to 2006, he prosecuted numerous trials and appeals for the Director of Public Prosecution in Queensland before commencing private practice in 2006 and developing additional areas of practice including tort, administrative, commercial and succession law. In 2017, Justin was appointed as a King’s Counsel. He has served on the Bar Council for the Bar Association of Queensland and is currently the Ethics Counsellor for the Bar Association Queensland and the President of the North Queensland Bar Association.

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