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

Opinion - Page 8

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

Surrogacy law reforms are long overdue, but there’s still work to be done

Removing barriers to domestic surrogacy is the least we can do to mitigate the risks of cross-border international surrogacy, writes Sarah Jefford OAM.

September 5, 2025

Opinion

Editor’s opinion: Time for the LPB’s reckoning

Across countless oat flat whites and pints quaffed by Perth practitioners, many a tale of the LPB has been told, writes Brief Editor-at-Large Michael Douglas.

September 2, 2025

Opinion

Chief Justice Stephen Gageler: Reflections on the great Sir Ronald Wilson

During a recent High Court visit to Perth, Chief Justice Stephen Gageler AC reflected on his very first meeting with one of Western Australia’s greatest legal minds.

August 22, 2025

Opinion

It’s time to lift the bar on who we call eminent

As disgraced High Court judge Dyson Heydon takes the stage at a conference in Perth, we must ask: at what point does one cease to be considered an eminent person?

August 21, 2025