High Court of Australia

The Hon. R.P. WORTLEY (14:37): My question is to the Attorney-General. Will the Attorney-General inform the council about the High Court's recent visit to Adelaide and the attendance of High Court judges at this year's Legal Profession Gala?

The Hon. K.J. MAHER (Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, Attorney-General, Minister for Industrial Relations and Public Sector) (14:37): I thank the honourable member for his question. I am pleased to be able to inform the chamber that in August the High Court of Australia made its first visit officially to sit in Adelaide in approximately seven years. I understand that recent work being undertaken in the High Court building in Canberra has given the court an opportunity to visit jurisdictions across the country, both hearing matters and to meet with members of the broader legal profession.

As the nation's highest court, it was a privilege to welcome the sitting of the court in South Australia. As part of welcoming the court, their honours Chief Justice Stephen Gageler, Justice Jacqueline Gleeson and Justice Michelle Gordon joined this year's legal profession dinner held at the Adelaide Convention Centre on 15 August.

At each of these dinners, lawyers across the community are recognised for their contributions to the profession. I extend my congratulations to South Australia's members of the legal profession who were recognised this year. The Emerging Lawyer of the Year Award went to Rahima Wahidi. Rahima arrived in Australia at the age of 11 as a refugee from Afghanistan and now works as a solicitor at the Northern Community Legal Service. On top of her very important work there, she has initiated outreach services with a refugee organisation and a local government school.

The Mary Kitson Award for contribution to the advancement of women in the law was awarded to Gillian Walker SC. Gillian currently heads the SA Bar Association's Women at the Bar committee and sits on the Chief Justice's respectful workplaces committee. She undertakes pro bono work, mentors other practitioners, and advocates for court sitting hours to accommodate practitioners' family and carer commitments.

The Pro Bono Award was awarded to Johnson Winter Slattery. Twenty-two lawyers from Johnson Winter Slattery dedicated a total of 604 voluntary hours to JusticeNet's Homeless Legal clinic in the last financial year. This equates to about $200,000 worth of pro bono legal services to vulnerable people who appear at the South Australian Civil and Administrative Tribunal.

The Regional Practitioner of the Year was awarded to Lachlan McAuliffe. Lachlan is an esteemed legal practitioner working in the Port Pirie region. He has acted as the unofficial unpaid duty solicitor for a number of years, conducting close to 200 free court appearances for defendants each year. The Justice Award for their contribution to improving fair and equal justice in South Australia this year went to Zita Ngor. Zita is a well-known person in the legal profession who has been involved in many initiatives to assist women to navigate the legal system, including an Indigenous women's program, the first Australian joint legal and sexual assault service delivery model, and the temporary visa holders experiencing violence project.

Holly Nikoloff was awarded the Bulletin Award for the best article of the year for her authorship of 'Civil penalty provisions: deterrence, deterrence, deterrence!' and Danielle Gilby was awarded the best special interest article of the year for 'When being sick is your full-time job: a perspective on flexible working arrangements from a disabled practitioner'.

Finally, Barry Jennings KC was awarded honorary membership of the Law Society. Admitted to practice in 1970, he has made a very significant contribution to the state's legal profession both through pro bono work and in serving as chief counsel of the Legal Services Commission and Crown counsel in the Director of Public Prosecutions. He was appointed Queen's Counsel in 1988, became a judge of the District Court in 1995 and retired as a senior judge of the Youth Court in 2006.

I extend my heartfelt thanks to all those who were involved in putting on this year's event and particularly those who were recognised for the outstanding contribution they have made to justice and the legal profession generally in South Australia.