President's Medal

Professor Matthew Stubbs received the 2023 President’s Medal in recognition of his outstanding and extensive contributions towards the Society's advocacy in support of a Human Rights Framework and the First Nations Voice to Parliament.

The Society has been the beneficiary of Professor Stubbs’ hard work for over ten years including through his membership of the Human Rights Committee, through frequent CPD presentations and contributions to submissions and advocacy. Critically, leading up to 2022, he vigorously pursued the adoption by the Society as formal policy that the Society supports a Human Rights Framework for South Australia. He addressed the Council on 10 October 2022 and the meeting resolved to adopt the Framework.

In 2023, Professor Stubbs was appointed as the Human Rights Committee’s representative to the Society’s Working Group on the First Nations Voice to Parliament. He contributed the first drafts of very significant portions of the discussion paper distributed to Members and the final report of the Working Group.

Professor Stubbs’ comprehensive knowledge of his area of expertise and capacity to analyse and articulate propositions have been a great asset to the Society. The generosity with which he has devoted his time to the Society’s advocacy makes him a highly deserving recipient of the President's Medal.

Paul Black, Barrister at Carrington Chambers and Co-Chair of the Accident Compensation Committee has been instrumental in the Society’s advocacy over the course of 2022.

One of the most significant aspects of the Society’s advocacy this year related to significant workers’ compensation reforms introduced by the Government.

The State Government made two attempts to reform the Return to Work Act 2014 to address cost implications of the Summerfield and Preedy judgments. The Society was not consulted by the State Government at any stage and as a result had to move very quickly to firstly consider the implications of the proposed reforms and subsequently provide and publicise submissions. The Society made three detailed submissions examining how the proposed reforms would impact injured workers. Paul worked tirelessly in heading a subcommittee of the Accident Compensation Committee composed of worker and employer representatives to inform the Society’s submissions on the reforms at very short notice, under intense time pressure.

Paul worked well into the night on many occasions to draft comprehensive analyses of the proposed laws, which shaped the Society’s suite of submissions to Government and public advocacy. He also accompanied the President to a meeting with the Shadow Premier, who wished to discuss a draft Bill.

The Government and crossbenchers subsequently tabled a raft of amendments to the Return to Work (Scheme Sustainability) Bill, which largely addressed the Society’s concerns and reflected its suggestions. Had the initial reforms not been proactively and consistently challenged by the Society and other stakeholders, access to compensation for injured workers in South Australia would likely have been significantly reduced, and we would have had a piece of legislation vulnerable to legal challenges on a number of fronts.

Paul has since assisted with a submission relating to the review of section 18 of the Return to Work Act and most recently played a major role in developing a comprehensive submission to the Attorney-General’s Department in response to a review of the South Australian Employment Tribunal. Next week, Paul will represent the Society before the Select Committee on the Return to Work SA Scheme.

Paul’s tireless work and generosity of his time during and since the Return to Work reforms makes him a very worthy winner of the 2022 President’s medal.

Craig Caldicott, Managing Partner of Caldicott Lawyers has made an outstanding contribution to the legal profession through his representation and advocacy in criminal law on behalf of the Society and fellow practitioners to the media, the courts and legislators.

Craig has been a Member of the Society’s Criminal Law Committee for 30 years and has been Co-Chair of the Committee since 2016. He is the Society’s current representative on the Law Council of Australia’s National Criminal Law Committee.

Despite his incredibly busy practice which includes a number of high-profile cases, he generously gives his time to the Society’s President and Policy Coordinator to assist with informing submissions relating to criminal law. Craig has helped guide the Society’s submissions on numerous topics, such as Major Indictable Reforms, sentencing discount regime and the COVID-19 court procedures. His extensive knowledge of criminal law, as well as his commitment to bedrock legal principles such as the right to a fair hearing, has helped to ensure the Society’s advocacy on criminal law matters is consistent, respected, influential and evidence-based.

Craig regularly appears in the media on behalf of the Society, and in his own capacity, on issues relating to criminal law. This year alone, Craig has provided comment on the Society’s behalf on numerous occasions, on issues such as courts delays, Major Indictable Reform, the impact of COVID-19 on criminal trails; the sentencing discount regime and proposed coercive control laws.

Craig has also kept the court and criminal lawyers regularly informed of issues being experienced due to COVID-19 restrictions and measures being taken to address them.

Chris Boundy made an outstanding contribution to the legal profession and the Society via his work towards a review of the Australian Solicitors’ Conduct Rules (Rules).

Chris commenced as the Society’s representative on the Law Council’s Professional Ethics Committee. Since at least 2016 that Committee has worked on a review of the Rules. This has been an exhaustive task on which Chris has spent many, many hours of his personal time (and continues to do so) contributing to complex debates, at a national level, required in order to prepare a re draft of the Rules that meets the concerns of all jurisdictions. Via his Membership of the Ethics and Practice Committee (of which he was Deputy Chair for four years) and the Council, Chris also informed and consulted the Society. Chris’ involvement made him an expert in the reasoning and commentary related to the Rules and earned him the respect of his peers nationwide.

Ross Womersley, Chief Executive of the South Australian Council of Social Service, made an outstanding contribution to the work of the Society in various projects undertaken in 2017.

Ross, and his team at SACOSS worked with the Society on a number of advocacy matters in relation to the Children and Young People (Safety) Bill, including a joint press conference, meetings with Members of Parliament, and a number of joint media statements.

The joint efforts of the Society and SACOSS resulted in a number of amendments to the Children and Young People (Safety) Bill as well as the introduction of the Prevention and Early Intervention for the Development and Wellbeing of Children and Young People Bill. The Society continues to work closely with Ross and SACOSS on key advocacy issues such as early intervention and youth offending.

Dianne Mifsud, Executive Assistant to the Honourable Chief Justice Kouakis has made an outstanding contribution to the legal profession, having ensured the cogs of justice turn smoothly in our State Courts for more than 40 years.

Dianne commenced with the Public Service in 1970 as a Shorthand Typist and moved to the Courts Administration Authority in 1975. Since joining the Authority, Dianne:

• has assumed managerial responsibility for all Supreme Court Associates and Personal Assistants.
• has been a welcoming and nurturing mentor to countless gifted lawyers who have begun their careers as associates and has never lost touch after they have left the courts.
• helped Justice Mullighan bottle his Royal Show Prize Winning Tomato Sauce and looked for ramps to ensure Chief Justice Doyle could access chambers when his Honour needed a wheelchair.
• was instrumental in the success of the Step Up to the Bar Program to address gender imbalance at the Independent Bar and on the Benches. In her, the inaugural candidate in the program, Daniella Di Girolamo, found a confidant and supporter.
• is the longest serving employee of all staff within the Courts Administration Authority. She has given a lifetime of service to supporting the administration of justice and all those who work towards its fair and prompt delivery.