The home of news, views and analysis for the WA legal profession

Opinion - Page 2

Views and opinions from across the profession.

The serious cost of free or cheap wills and estate planning

April 17, 2026

Ross McDougall explains why cheap wills can create costly mistakes, hidden conflicts and invalid documents in estate planning.

Legal updates·Opinion

Less jail, better justice? Lessons from the UK’s new sentencing Act

April 14, 2026

Isobel Millward, Juris Doctor student at UWA, considers UK sentencing reforms from an Australian context.

April 1, 2026

Understanding Standing Orders: the operating system of the Legislative Assembly

Sergeant-at-Arms/Clerk Assistant (Procedure) Thomas Moorhead delves into the details of Standing Orders.

March 30, 2026

Beyond the textbooks: our first year as graduate lawyers

There is a particular moment most junior lawyers remember: sitting at their desk, opening an email, and realising there isn’t a model answer waiting somewhere in their notes.

Opinion

Learning to see my career differently

Frith Gibbons discusses the impact of progressive vision impairment on her legal career.

February 23, 2026

News·Opinion

Top silk calls out ongoing inequality at the WA Bar

President of the WA Bar Association, Julie Taylor SC, cautions that the State’s Bar still faces substantial challenges in achieving greater diversity.

February 5, 2026

Opinion

Wills and probate practice in Papua New Guinea: challenges of a developing jurisprudence

Papua New Guinea’s wills and probate law faces cultural resistance, widespread intestacy, and a need for strengthened professional estate planning services.

January 29, 2026

Opinion

Abhorrent to the rule of law

The Vice President, Americas Hub, of the Commonwealth Lawyers Association has issued an open letter in relation to the USA's recent military action in Venezuela.

January 16, 2026

Opinion

The accusation of genocide: A rebuttal

On 18 November, Brief published an article titled 'Genocide in Gaza in international law'. Brief now publishes, in response, an article by Mark Friedgut, a Sydney-based barrister who is an expert on the Arab Israeli conflict.

December 23, 2025

Opinion

To merge or not to merge (law schools)? Well, it depends

Dr Marco Rizzi considers the issues around a potential merger of some of WA's public universities (including their law schools).

December 8, 2025

Opinion

Between promise and practice: the reality of disability rights in Australia

For International Day of People with Disability, Tom Monks considers disability rights in Australia over the last 20 years.

December 3, 2025

Opinion

The flawed logic behind Section 5C of the Civil Liability Act

If our legal system wants to reflect a subjective enquiry into negligence causation, the prohibitions under Section 5C(3)(b) should be repealed, writes Isobel Millward.

December 2, 2025

Opinion

The Bar’s D&I “whoops” moment: Why all the fuss?

If you’ve checked LinkedIn in the past few days, you’ll probably have seen the hoopla caused by the Australian Bar Association’s backflip in disbanding its D&I Committee. Kate Wellington writes.

November 28, 2025