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19 Torrens St Braddon
ACT 1612 || GPO Box 1989
Canberra ACT 2601
Telephone +61 2 6246 3788
Facsimilie +61 2 6248 0639
19 September 2009
MR2410
Law Council Disappointed in Attorney-
General’s Comments
The Law Council is
disappointed
by comments attributed to the
Commonwealth Attorney-General, Mr Robert McClelland, in the media
yesterday that amount to little more than pandering to popular
stereotypes.
Mr McClelland’s statements that using lawyers to resolve disputes was
akin to grabbing a “tiger by the tail” and being “up the creek without a
paddle” are disrespectful to a profession committed to resolving clients’
disputes in the most effective and efficient way possible.
Law Council President, Mr Corcoran, said, “People come to lawyers with
legal problems which they have been unable to solve themselves. We
do not create them. The vast majority of disputes are resolved without
adjudication by the courts. Many clients would attest to the fact that if it
wasn’t for their lawyers, the problem would not have been solved.”
As a former practising lawyer, Mr McClelland’s comments on costs
agreements and their complexity are difficult for the legal profession to
understand. While costs agreements can be lengthy and complex, this
is a problem
created by legislative requirements imposed on lawyers
under the existing legal profession legislation. It is inaccurate and unfair
to blame lawyers for what must, by law, be included in costs
agreements.
Mr Corcoran said, “the simplification of the legislative requirements
governing costs agreements is one of the many matters driving the
COAG legal profession reform project. Lawyers are looking forward to a
considerable reduction in the complex regulatory requirements which
currently burden them and consumers of legal services.
“The Law Council remains committed to working with the Government to
reducing “red tape” facing lawyers and clients,” Mr Corcoran concluded.
Media Contact:
Elenore Eriksson, Director Public Affairs
P. 02 6246 3716 || M. 0419 269 855
The Law Council of Australia exists to represent the legal
profession at the national level, to speak on behalf of its constituent
bodies on national issues, and to promote the administration of
justice, access to justice and general improvement of the law.
NEWS 
