If you are interested in attending any upcoming seminars, receiving a copy of a previous paper, or having members of Northbank Chambers present for you, please contact Northbank Chambers for more information on kmillar@northbankchambers.com.au or 07 3229 6254.

Upcoming

1-5 September 2025, BAQ 13th Commercial Litigation Workshop to be conducted at the Legal Training Institute, Port Moresby

Recent

27 May 2025 - International Academy of Mediators (IAM) conference at the Gold Coast

Andrew Crowe KC and Josh Creamer will be presenting on the conduct of mediators of class actions involving Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders and government.

6 April 2025 - Commonwealth Lawyers Conference, Valetta Malta

Andrew Crowe KC is presenting an “Safety in Numbers” - Class Actions with reference to class actions brought in Australia in respect of claims by Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islanders.

BAQ Workshops Nuku’alofa Tonga – 5-8 November 2024

The Trainers

There were seven trainers being: Justice Catherine Muir, Andrew Crowe KC (Team Leader), Matthew Brady KC, Erin Longbottom KC, Holly Blattman KC, Dr Joe Crowley and Reimen Hii .

Commercial Litigation Workshop – 5 – 7 November 2024

28 local practitioners participated in the Workshops including government lawyers working at the Attorney General’s Office and elsewhere. The split was approximately 50% private practitioners and 50% government lawyers. 

The Workshops were opened by Justice Nicholas Cooper.  Justice Catherine Muir also spoke at the opening of the Workshops.

Day 1 and the morning of Day 2  were devoted to lectures and in particular to preparing the trainees for the practical advocacy Workshops.  In the afternoon of Day 2 the trainees participated in an Interlocutory Injunction exercise. 

Day 3 was a day devoted entirely to examination-in-chief and cross-examination.    All trainees enthusiastically participated in the exercise and the standard was good.

Donation to Tonga Law Society

After Day 3 of the Workshops trainers attended at the Tonga Lawy Society premises and made a donation of second-hand wigs, jackets and robes (some new jackets and robes contributed by Ludlows) to the Society to be made available to local practitioners. Tonga has a strict robing Practice Direction for Court and of course not all practitioners can meet the cost of complying with that Practice Direction.  

The Government Lawyers Workshop – Day 4 

After lectures in the morning the afternoon was devoted to the third advocacy exercise – conducting an ex parte Application for leave to bring a Judicial Review Application.   It was interesting to see the clear improvement in advocacy of the less experienced advocates when compared to earlier in the week.  The standard of advocacy was good.

Closing Function

We held a closing function on the Friday.  Those attending the function apart from the trainees included the High Commissioner for Britain, Justice Nicholas Cooper, Justice Petunia Tupou KC, Magistrate Kaufusi, Attorney General Ms Linda Folaumoetu’i, the Solicitor General Sione Sisifa and the President of the Tonga Law Society Alyssa Kafoa. The Bar Association of Queensland contributed in part to the cost of this function.  

Thank you  

The Workshops were able to proceed because of the “on the ground” support in Tonga from Justice Petunia Tupou KC (the Acting Lord Chief Justice until only recently), the Attorney General Ms Linda Folaumoetu’i and the immediate past president of the Tonga Law Society Lopeti Senituli.  During the Workshops this assistance was added to by the support of the Solicitor General Sione Sisifa and the President of the Tonga Law Society Alyssa Kafoa. 

Thank you to the Pacific Justice Sector Programme (NZ funded), the Australian Bar Association, the Law Council of Australia and the Bar Association of Queensland for your support. 

2-6 September 2024, BAQ 12th Commercial Litigation Workshop to be conducted at the Legal Training Institute, Port Moresby

From 2 – 6 September 2024 the BAQ conducted the 12th annual Commercial Litigation Workshop at the Legal Training Institute Port Moresby. The training team taught 92 recently graduated law students all of whom completed the week-long workshop.

The workshop was officially opened by the Chief Justice Sir Gibbs Salika. Justice John Logan RFD (an Australian Federal Court Judge and a part-time judge of the Supreme Court of PNG) attended for the week to assist the trainers as did Judge Bernard Porter KC (as a trainer – he is a former member of Northbank Chambers).

11 barristers travelled to Port Moresby to conduct the training with 4 being members of Northbank Chambers:  Andrew Crowe KC (Team leader), Mark Steele KC, Max Walker and Jane Menzies.

The other trainers were  Holly Blattman KC, Joseph Crowley, Liam Dollar, Fiona Lubett, Salwa Marsh, Genevieve Yates and Sarida McLeod.

On 3 September the group attended a CPD event (300 PNG practitioners in attendance plus more on-line) and Logan J and Andrew Crowe KC presented.  On 5 September the group attended a function at the Australian High Commissioner’s residence and Andrew Crowe KC thanked the Australian Government for its continuing, generous financial support of the workshop.

Earlier seminar topics

  • Negotiation Techniques in Commercial Disputes: "How to" Guide

  • Appeals - A Practical Approach to instituting, preparing for and appearing in an Appeal

  • Lay Witness Evidence

  • 7th Annual Intellectual Property Law Review Seminar

  • Trustees’ applications for judicial advice

  • BAQ Annual ADR Conference 

  • The Rules in Jones v Dunkel and Browne v Dunn in Civil Trials 

  • Taking back the contract works – termination and step in rights

  • Issues regarding liquidated damages – penalty v. genuine pre-estimate of loss; LDs v. general damages

  • Expert Evidence

  • Security for Costs (with focus on FCA)