The Legal Training Institute played host to the fourth Commercial Litigation Workshop which ran from September 5 – 9.
The fourteen member Queensland contingent included Justice John Logan, RFD, of the Federal Court of Australia and a Supreme and National Court Judge of Papua New Guinea.
Manuel (Mal) Varitimos, CBE, QC, who has appeared in a number of constitutional and administrative law matters for a number of PNG’s political leaders, was also part of the contingent.
Justice Logan and members of the Queensland Bar shared their wealth of knowledge and over three hundred years of combined experience in legal practice with ninety trainees of the Legal Training Institute.
The five day long workshop included practical and theoretical exercises which allowed the trainees to analyse a fictional telecommunications problem.
These exercises allowed participants to draft written submissions for an interlocutory application, prepare an application for discovery, drafting a statement of claim and a defence, seeking leave to judicially review a ministerial decision and identifying issues and witnesses for a commercial trial.
Trainees were divided into six smaller groups were they had the benefit of two coaches from the Queensland contingent who shared with them their insight and assistance.
The final day of the workshop was dedicated to a criminal law program led by Mr. Saul Holt, QC. Trainees were given a scenario with slight variations that examined offences of unlawful homicide and the various defenses that could be raised according to the circumstances of the case.
At the closing ceremony, team leader of the Queensland Bar Association, Mr. Andrew Crowe, QC highlighted that the five day workshop was a boost to trainee confidence which was evident in Friday’s criminal law program.
Overall, the 4th Commercial Litigation Workshop was truly beneficial to all participants, with many positive remarks from trainees, lecturers, and members of the Queensland contingent.
The conclusion of the week long workshop was bitter sweet but remains an experience of a life time for the country’s future members of the legal fraternity.
