Law TV – Sky News

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Law TV – 30 March 2011

2011 is set to be marked by national reform of the legal profession coming to a head and last week’s thumping victory in NSW inevitably ushering in a series of changes that will reshape the State’s legal system. Through it all, a State’s Law Society acts as the spokesperson to government and the media; its President having the power to take major initiatives in the development of the Law Society’s policy and management. Stuart Westgarth has taken the helm as President of the NSW Law Society for 2011. A seasoned litigator, Westgarth has been a Partner in the National Litigation Group of HWL Ebsworth since 2008, prior to which he was a Partner (including Managing Partner) at Corrs Chambers Westgarth. He joins Law TV to, inter alia, enumerate his intention to reaffirm the Society’s role as a ‘thought leader’.

Our current legal system fails to set out rules around the ownership, storage and use of blood taken during newborn screening program, according to Dr Diana Bowman from the Melbourne School of Population Health. Dr Bowman believes the tests and what is done with the blood afterwards raises many legal questions, telling Law TV new laws are needed for these screening programs to ensure these tests and their findings can be used for future research.

Five years in the making, a new book tracing the history of Australia’s first national law firm – Freehills – has been launched. Freehills – A History of Australia’s First National Law Firm (UNSW, 2011) covers the origins of the firm and its developments to the present day. Author and historian Suzanne Welborn joins Law TV to discuss its compilation.

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