Lord Howe Island Legal Conference 2012
6-14 April 2012
After the enormous success of last years conference, we returned to Lord Howe Island in April. First timers to the island were stunned by its beauty and the relaxed atmosphere of the conference.
As one delegate remarked… the Lord Howe conference was the first time I have ever experienced District Court Judges in bare feet giving seminars to delegates wrapped in beach towels!
Federal Magistrate Rolf Driver simplified for all of us the history of Australia’s immigration laws and how they compare with our New Zealand neighbour.
Judge Helen Murrell of the NSW District Court gave an absorbing insight into the fralities of human memory in her presentation concerning the reliability of witnesses in the Court room.
A most interesting perspective on legal ethics in the Pacific Region was delivered by John Conners Barrister, which both shocked and amused us.
Paul Westwood, Australia’s internationaly respected document examiner, demonstrated the role of modern day forensics in challenging the validity of wills and other documents in legal disputes.
Between sessions we managed to find time to snorkel with the tame sharks off Ned’s Beach and enjoy a networking lunch with Lord Howe Island’s famous barbequed kingfish.