Government Lawyers Conference

Join us for the Law Society’s Government Law Committee's CPD Morning, designed specifically for government legal professionals at both the Territory and Commonwealth levels.

2025 Government Law Conference

Time 

Session Title 

8:30am

Registration opens

8:55am

Welcome and Introduction

9:00am - 10:00am 

SIGNAL OF THE TIMES: LEGAL IMPLICATIONS FOR USING PRIVATE MESSAGING APPS IN GOVERNMENT PRACTICE

Presented by Australian Information Commissioner Elizabeth Tydd
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Technology presents many opportunities that are being harnessed by government. Whilst the technologies change, they continue to operate under the same legal requirements. In this session the Australian Information Commissioner will describe her findings and recommendations to help agencies better meet their recordkeeping, FOI and privacy obligations when using messaging apps, and support the fundamental human rights of information access and privacy.

10:00am – 10:20am 

Morning Tea 

10:20am - 11:20am 

WHAT DO GOVERNMENT LAWYERS NEED TO KNOW WHEN DEALING WITH INQUIRIES AND ROYAL COMMISSIONS?

Panel discussion with Coroner Ken Archer, Andrew Berger KC and Kate Eastman
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Government lawyers assist with Royal Commissions, Inquests and Inquiries at all levels of government and in different capacities.  In this panel session, attendees will hear from experienced counsel and the ACT Coroner on their reflections, tips and strategies for government lawyers working in the inquisitorial space.  Topics to be discussed include ethical obligations, briefing counsel, submissions, witness management and common mistakes and missteps.  

11:20am - 12:20pm 

THE NACC NOW: INSIGHTS AND IMPLICATIONS FOR GOVERNMENT LEGAL PRACTICE

Presented by National Anti-corruption Commissioner Paul Brereton
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Join Commissioner Paul Brereton for a timely and authoritative update on the National Anti-Corruption Commission (NACC), two years into its operation. This session will explore the Commission’s current investigative landscape, including the latest statistics and reflect on key decisions and public outcomes that have shaped its trajectory. 

Commissioner Brereton will also share strategic learnings for government lawyers, highlighting how legal practitioners within the public sector can better navigate the evolving integrity framework. The session will provide practical insights into referral processes, legal thresholds for investigation, and the role of legal counsel in supporting transparency and accountability across government agencies. 

Whether you're advising on compliance, managing risk, or responding to inquiries, this session will provide insights on the work of the NACC.  

12:20pm - 1:20pm  

Lunch 
 

 

  

This event is proudly supported by the College of Law. 

DETAILS

  • When: Wednesday 15 October 2025, 9:00am - 1:30pm (registration from 8:30am) 
  • Where: ACT Law Society Training Room, live streaming option available
  • Cost: $200 Members, $280 Non-member, $85 Student member
  • CPD: Members will earn 3 CPD points
  • RSVP by Friday 10 September
  • For further information please contact events@actlawsociety.asn.au

 

MEET THE SPEAKERS

ELIZABETH TYDDA person wearing glasses and a suitAI-generated content may be incorrect.

AUSTRALIAN INFORMATION COMMISSIONER  

Elizabeth Tydd is the Australian Information Commissioner. Elizabeth brings decades of regulatory and governance experience at an executive and board level in a range of jurisdictions and industries, including commercial, not-for-profit and public sector oversight and has occupied several statutory decision‑making roles, including Information Commissioner and CEO of the NSW Information and Privacy Commission, Australian Freedom of Information Commissioner, Deputy President of the Workers Compensation Commission and Deputy Chairperson of the former Consumer, Trader and Tenancy Tribunal. As Information Commissioner, she has championed open government and ethical leadership across the Australian public sector. Elizabeth possesses expertise in digital government and will share her insights on messaging apps and their governance.

 

THE HON. PAUL BRERETON AM, RFD, SCA person wearing glasses and a suitAI-generated content may be incorrect.

AUSTRALIAN INFORMATION COMMISSIONER  I  NATIONAL ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION

Commissioner Paul Brereton, a distinguished legal figure, began his career as a solicitor in New South Wales in 1982 before transitioning to the Bar in 1987 and becoming Senior Counsel in 1998. Appointed as a Judge of the Supreme Court of New South Wales in 2005, he served primarily in the Equity Division, later becoming a Judge of Appeal. From 2013 he was a member and from 2019 Deputy President of the Defence Force Discipline Appeal Tribunal. He was appointed a part-time Commissioner of the NSW Law Reform Commission on 1 June 2016 and Deputy Chairperson on 1 July 2016.
He retired from his judicial appointments in 2023 to assume the role of inaugural Commissioner of the new National Anti-Corruption Commission.
With a notable military career, he served in various roles, attaining the rank of Major General. He was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia in 2010.

 

ANDREW BERGER KC

BARRISTER  I  KEY CHAMBERS

Andrew was called to the private bar in 2022. Before this, he worked as a solicitor and an in-house counsel in the dispute resolution group of the Australian Government Solicitor for over 20 years. Andrew has very broad legal experience and has achieved expertise across a number of areas of law, including appeals, public law, statutory interpretation, family law, inquests and inquiries, equity and trusts, wills and estates, tort law, professional discipline and contract and commercial law. He enjoys helping his clients find practical and efficient solutions to their legal problems. Andrew is a keen golfer and thrives on the mental challenge of both golf and the law!    

 

KATE EASTMAN AM SC

BARRISTER  I  NEW CHAMBERS

Kate Eastman AM SC is a Sydney barrister working in the fields in human rights, discrimination, employment and public law. She has appeared in several Royal Commissions, including as Counsel Assisting the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability between 2019 - 2023.  She has conducted recent inquiries, including an independent inquiry into media allegations about the Merivale Group and in March 2025, she was appointed a special ministerial commissioner to inquire into the workplace culture of the NSW Office of the Children's Guardian. Kate also serves as NSW Law Reform Commissioner.

 

CORONER KEN ARCHER

Coroner Ken Archer brings over 30 years of legal experience in the ACT to his role, having served as both a senior prosecutor and a criminal defence barrister. He has extensive expertise in coronial matters, including hearings and inquests, and previously held the position of President of the ACT Bar Association.

 

Reduced rates may be available to some of our members to ensure equal training opportunities. Please make contact to discuss your eligibility.

Event registration terms and conditions

ACT Law Society invoices have payment terms of 14 days. Fees are payable upon registration. A 1.2% surcharge may be incurred on payments processed via credit/debit card. The Society reserves the right to cancel or alter events at its discretion, and in such circumstances, attendees will be notified via email. 

Definitions — 'Registration' means any booking given to the Society in writing, on our website, or by phone. 'Member' means any member of the ACT Law Society, including associate members and honorary members. 'New Lawyer' means any member who has held a practising certificate for five years or less. 'CLC' means any member working for a recognised community legal centre, or holding a volunteer practising certificate. 'Student' means any member holding a student membership.

All cancellations must be made in writing, and all cancellations will incur a fee, however, no charge will be incurred for substituting another person. Outside of the cancellation periods given below, a $10 administration fee will be incurred for any cancellation made. If a registered attendee fails to attend without notifying the Society in writing, no credit or refund will be offered and 100% of the total cost will be retained by the Society. 

CPD Events — In the case of CPD events held at an venue other than the Law Society, no refund can be made after the RSVP date of the event. In the case of CPD events held at the Law Society, for cancellations made up to two working days prior to the event, 50% of the total cost will be retained by the Society as a cancellation fee and the balance may be used as a credit towards other CPD events or be refunded. If you choose to keep a credit it will remain valid for 12 months from the event date, after which time it will expire. For cancellations within two working days of the event, no refunds or credits will be applicable. 

Webinars — In the case of live or on-demand webinars, as connection details are sent when registration is completed, no refund or cancellation is available. 

Social events — In the case of social events, no refund can be made after the RSVP date of the event.

Attendees of events consent to filming, photography and sound recording as members of the audience. By registering and attending this event you agree to being filmed or photographed which may be used for marketing or promotional purposes

 

 

Registration

Member Registration $200.00(GST incl.) Add to Cart
Student Member Registration $85.00(GST incl.) Add to Cart
Non-member Registration $280.00(GST incl.) Add to Cart
Single session live-streaming registration (member) $100.00(GST incl.) Add to Cart
Single session live-streaming registration (student member) $25.00(GST incl.) Add to Cart
Single session live-streaming registration (non-member) $140.00(GST incl.) Add to Cart
 

Schedule

Speakers

Sponsors & Supporters

The Government Lawyers Morning is proudly supported by College of Law.

The College of Law in the Australian legal profession is a name well known. Not only because we’ve been at the forefront of practice based legal education since 1974, but also that our mission has never faltered. A mission to break with convention, to deliver innovative, flexible education and training to create a career in the legal services industry that lasts. 

What else sets us apart? Well, we focus on real life in practice. Taking the theoretical into the current state of the profession, to provide true relevance and practical learning that’s valuable, from day dot. 

With over 45 years serving the legal profession, we occupy a special place. Most lawyers in Australia and New Zealand today start their career with us, undertaking their Practical Legal Training (PLT) to prepare for admission to practice. We also partner with over 30 law firms and government agencies to embed PLT  within graduate programs.

We then support lawyers in their careers through offering short courses and postgraduate programs such as our LLM in Applied Law, which includes the option to major in Government and Public Sector Law . Our aim is to help people succeed as lawyers whatever role they choose to pursue. We want our graduates to be the best they possibly can be and to thrive in the profession. As the legal profession continues to develop, we aim to be here to assist in the transition and offer support at every stage of a lawyer’s career.  

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