Legal Policy at QLS

The Queensland Law Society legal policy team advocate for good law by encouraging the government to draft and amend legislation and develop policy to have a positive impact on both the legal profession and the community in Queensland. QLS is fortunate enough to have 26 standing policy committees comprised of expert members who dedicate their time to further the Society’s advocacy. Committee members come from a range of professional backgrounds and represent a breadth of expertise which helps the QLS to proffer views which are a true representation of the legal profession. The committees are the engine room for policy and advocacy.

The legal policy team, with assistance from our policy committees, made over 210 submissions to both state and federal government inquiries in the 2017/18 financial year. These submissions highlight legal issues identified in legislative drafting and adherence to fundamental legislative principles such as the abrogation of the rule of law, or unintended consequences of legislative drafting. QLS submissions are regularly considered and referred to in parliamentary committee reports to government.

Public hearings are also held as part of the parliamentary inquiry process. They provide subject matter experts and interested parties with the opportunity to expand on written submissions and to discuss inquiry issues with parliamentary committees in a public forum. Over the last year, QLS have been invited to attend and give evidence at 20 parliamentary public hearings on a range of different legal issues. Evidence and examples provided by QLS at public hearings are often used in recommendations for reform.

The legal policy team and members of the committees are also regularly invited to a range of stakeholder engagements. In the last financial year, the team attended and actively participated in 149 stakeholder meetings to discuss policy issues and to represent the views of solicitors in Queensland.

QLS welcomes comments on legislative reform by members as well as expressions of interest to join the policy committees. The legal policy team are committed to continuing our successful track record of effecting change by encouraging the government to create laws which uphold fundamental legislative principles and the rule of law.