Prosecutorial obligation to disclose – so what’s new?

The ACT Law Society, in collaboration with the ACT Courts, invites you to attend this important CPD seminar on recent changes to prosecutorial disclosure obligations in the ACT. 
Following the finalisation of the Final Report of the Board of Inquiry – Criminal Justice System published on 31 July 2023, introduction of the Crimes (Disclosure) Legislation Amendment Act 2024, and the development of a supporting Practice Direction, significant changes are on the horizon for legal practitioners in the ACT. 
Key topics will include:  

• The implications of the Board of Inquiry’s Final Report and the rationale for codifying disclosure duties;  
• The scope and content of the prosecution’s disclosure obligations under the new legislation and Practice Direction;  
• The introduction of statutory timeframes, ongoing disclosure requirements, and exceptions; and  
• The introduction of corresponding accountability mechanisms, including court-imposed sanctions for non-compliance. 

This session is vital for legal professionals seeking to better understand how these reforms will change criminal law and procedure in the ACT. 

 

THE HON. CHIEF MAGISTRATE WALKER

CHIEF MAGISTRATE  I  ACT MAGISTRATES COURT

Lorraine Walker is the Chief Magistrate of the Australian Capital Territory. She holds a BA, LLB from the University of Sydney. She was admitted as a solicitor in New South Wales in 1987, and worked briefly as an employed solicitor before joining the Royal Australian Air Force later that year. She served as an RAAF legal officer for 3 years in Melbourne and the Northern Territory. She then relocated to her birthplace, the United Kingdom, where she was employed by the Crown Prosecution Service as a prosecutor from 1990 to 1996. On returning to Australia in 1996, she practised in the ACT as a solicitor for one year prior to being made a partner in a national law firm. In 2000, she commenced at the ACT Bar.
She was appointed to the ACT Magistrates Court in 2010 with a dual commission as Coroner and Magistrate. She was subsequently appointed Chief Magistrate and Chief Coroner in 2011. During this time, she has held the roles of Childrens Court Magistrate and Industrial Court Magistrate.
In August 2019, she was appointed to the ACT Supreme Court as an Acting Judge to establish the Drug and Alcohol Sentencing List. The list commenced in December 2019, and she then recommenced as Chief Magistrate in April 2020 amid the early stages of the Covid-19 crisis.
She has served on the board of the ACT Law Society, the ACT Bar Association, and the Canberra Institute of Technology. She has also tutored at the Australian National University.
Chief Magistrate Walker has a particular interest in the somewhat competing concepts of court efficiency and therapeutic justice.

 

DETAILS

• When: Tuesday 10 March 2026  I  4:30pm - 5:30pm (registration opens at 4:00pm)
• Where: ACT Law Society, live streaming option available. 
• Cost: Members - $50, New Lawyers and Students - $25, Non-members $70. 
• CPD: Members will receive 1 point in Core Area 4
• RSVP: Monday 9 March

 

 

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