Bar Association Reconciliation Action Plan Launch

The Bar Association of Queensland will launch its Reconciliation Action Plan on 29 May 2014.

The Reconciliation Action Plan is designed to continue past efforts and to provide a structure for contributing to reconciliation through relationships, respect, education and other opportunities.

The President of the Association, Peter Davis QC will launch the RAP. Ken Barlow QC will chair the launch in the presence of other eminent guests.

Traditional Welcome to Country will be by Songwoman Maroochy who is a graduate of the Victorian College of the Arts in Melbourne. She is an internationally-renowned opera singer and was the first Australian to perform at the United Nations in New York in 1993 in honour of the International Year for the World’s Indigenous People.

The RAP Working Group is a sub-committee of the Bar Council chaired by Ken Barlow QC and comprises the President of the Bar Association of Queensland, Dan O’Gorman SC, John Fraser, Nathan Jarro, Joshua Creamer and is supported by the Chief Executive Robyn Martin.

The guest speaker will be Dr Diana Eades, Adjunct Professor, School of Behavioural, Cognitive and Social Sciences, University of New England, and Fellow of the Australian Academy of the Humanities. Dr Eades will provide some insights into cross-cultural communication and the law. Dr Eades specialises in critical sociolinguistics, language in the legal process, and intercultural communication, particularly involving Australian Aboriginal people who speak varieties of English. She has more than 25 years’ experience in research, teaching and practical applications of her scholarly work, has an extensive publications list, and has provided expert evidence (for example, in the Condren and Kina cases).

The launch will take place at the Banco Court from 5:30 to 6:30 pm on 29 May 2014. The formal invitation will be issued shortly.