Key developments
- Review of the Local Court Act
- Identity matching legislation
- Proposed ‘Remediation of Land State Environmental Planning Policy’
- Partial closure of Belmont Court House
- Final Report into the review of Open Banking
- Review of Copyright Online Infringement Amendment
- Proposed amendment to Part 5 of the Motor Accident Guidelines
- Feedback on Claim Forms for the NSW CTP Scheme
- Support for the Walama Court Proposal
- Commonwealth Redress Scheme for Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse Bill
Review of the Local Court Act
The Litigation Law and Practice Committee contributed to a letter to the Department of Justice regarding a review of the Local Court Act 2007 (NSW). The letter reiterated the Law Society’s previous support for increasing the Small Claims Division’s jurisdiction to $20,000 to facilitate a quicker and cheaper method of resolving civil monetary disputes. Any expansion should ensure that safeguards are in place so that appeal rights are not reduced.
The letter also suggested that, subject to consultation with the Local Court, consideration may be given to dividing the General Division of the Court into a number of lists to allow for the appointment of magistrates with some specialist experience to particular lists.