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

Opinion - Page 7

Views and opinions from across the profession.

Beyond the ‘Good bloke defence’: Rethinking good character in sentencing

October 28, 2026

Isobel Millward, Juris Doctor student at UWA, argues proposed reforms to good character sentencing raise important questions about judicial discretion and the need for evidence-based consultation.

Opinion

The AI inflection point: How lawyers will shape Australia’s regulatory future

October 19, 2026

Gad Coffie and Marianne Rose argue that Australia needs urgent AI regulation as autonomous cyber threats emerge, with lawyers playing a critical role in shaping safeguards and protecting confidentiality.

October 16, 2026

Beyond reproductive leave: Building menopause‑friendly workplaces for World Menopause Day

Grace Molloy, founder and CEO of Menopause Friendly Australia discusses the new ISO standard for menopause and how leading organisations are facilitating a broader support program at work.

October 14, 2026

The Court waiting room: An underutilised resource in the litigation process

Cally Hannah reflects on how Court waiting rooms could become valuable spaces for legal education, helping litigants understand processes, options and consequences before entering court.

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

Opinion

The WA DNA ruling that should reshape national forensic practice

A new ruling signals an urgent need to reform crime-scene handling practices nationwide, writes Helen Roebuck.

November 24, 2025

Opinion

Alternative dispute resolution: the hidden gem of conflict resolution

ADR offers a more compassionate alternative to litigation. By embracing mediation and collaborative processes, lawyers can reduce burnout, empower clients, ease court burdens, and achieve more meaningful, humane resolutions.

November 19, 2025

Opinion

Where did we come from, where did we go? How PLT came to be in WA

Kate Wellington traces the colourful and often circular journey of PLT in WA, and asks: how far have we really come?

November 7, 2025

Opinion

Rethinking Gillick: empowering young people’s right to decide

Gillick competence transformed how the law views minors’ autonomy in healthcare. Yet decades later, uncertainty, inconsistency and judicial paternalism continue to limit its power to truly protect young people’s decision-making.

October 30, 2025

Opinion

PLT rules are frozen in time. Reforming them matters

PLT reform is not about making life easier for students. It is about making the profession stronger, writes Elisha Rose.

October 21, 2025

Opinion

From typewriters to laptops: a lawyer’s journey through 50 years of change

Join John Butler as he travels through the last half century as a legal professional.

October 15, 2025

Opinion

Apologies and discounted damages: incentive or weapon?

Should defendants who apologise for negligently inflicted personal injuries be rewarded with a lower award of damages? Or is this taking incentive-based arguments for apologies too far?

October 7, 2025

Opinion

As Richard Boyle’s case ends, Australia’s whistleblower protection laws must change

While Richard Boyle ultimately avoided jail time and a conviction, prosecutions like Boyle’s have a chilling effect on whistleblowers.

September 15, 2025

Opinion

PLT providers are crucial, but must be more than mere box-tickers

The essential problem in my view, and certainly one shared by Chief Justice Bell, is that PLT run by the big providers is generally not practical at all.

September 11, 2025