Bell CJ awarded honorary Doctor of Laws

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Editor’s picks

• Chief Justice Andrew Bell Awarded Honorary Doctor of Laws
   

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  War criminal Ben Roberts-Smith’s failed defamation appeal brought a legal first in a Federal Court judgment.
   

• R v Schulz [2025] QCA 75 (20 May 2025)

  [1] I agree, for the reasons given by Bradley JA, that it was not open on the evidence before the learned trial judge, including the juror’s own statements, to have found that the discharged juror “is not impartial” for the purposes of s 56(1)(a) of the Jury Act 1995 (Qld). There were troubling aspects to that juror’s seventh note, including her apparent perception that it was within the power of the jury to “vote” that she “should go”. But the seventh note did not reveal a basis to conclude the juror herself was not, or appeared not to be, impartial…

  ….

  [26] The seventh note read: “I want to voluntarily remove myself because the other jurors have voted I should go & in addition, I feel there are sufficient jurors who are not impartial to secure a carefully weighted decision. The reason those who voted against me feel uncomfortable is I challenge their prejudices in my opinion & they see that as me being biased in favour of the defendant. In my view, the jury should disband, but I am leaving, so that is up to them now. I am neurodivergent so its [sic] hard to communicate with them. The decision was majority, not unanimous.”

   

• 26 June 2025 - Geopolitical Challenges, Current Conflicts and the Role of International Law - Commodore Ian Park (Head of Legal in the Royal Navy) - Hosted by the International Committee of the NSW Bar Association
   

• ‘AI Will Make Lawyers Irrelevant For Most Contracts’ – Artificial Lawyer
   

• Judge orders US officials to keep custody of migrants flown to South Sudan | US immigration | The Guardian
   

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