Legal Laneway Breakfast travels back to Ballarat for 2024

After the huge success of the first regional Legal Laneway Breakfast in 2023, the event returned to Ballarat in 2024 to celebrate the beginning of the legal year.

Legal professionals from around the region gathered at The Lane at The George Hotel to hear from guest speakers, including Magistrate Guillaume Bailin from the Assessment and Referral Court and Victoria Law Foundation Executive Director Lynne Haultain, while enjoying breakfast and coffees.

“It’s always wonderful to be at a community event.” said Chief Magistrate Lisa Hannan. “What's important is that people are willing to get together, not just the lawyers, but the whole legal community, because it doesn't work unless you're part of an ecosystem. It was very clear to me today that Ballarat is a flourishing ecosystem and one that they should be very proud of.”

“A wonderful gathering of the legal community in Ballarat,” said Narelle Laing, CEO of the Ballarat & Grampians Community Legal Service. She was delighted to see visiting guests at the Breakfast including Lisa Hannan, Chief Magistrate of Victoria; President of the Ballarat & District Law Association Tom O’Dwyer; and Michelle Mykytowycz, Regional Coordinating Magistrate for the Grampians region.

Bringing the Assessment and Referral Court to Ballarat

With Ballarat’s Assessment and Referral Court (ARC) opening in the next two weeks, Magistrate Guillaume Bailin introduced the work of the ARC, which was first established in 2020. ARC is a pre-sentence, solution-focused court for people experiencing mental health issues or cognitive impairment, providing treatment and support to address the underlying causes of criminal offending.

“Its purpose is to keep the community safe.” Magistrate Bailin outlined. “It seeks to do this by supporting the accused’s rehabilitation with intensive case management, judicial oversight and case planning…ARC requires someone to take an active role in their rehabilitation…It is a privilege to lead the implementation of ARC in this region.”

With ARC opening soon in Ballarat, it marks the next stage in establishing ARC at all 12 headquarter magistrates’ courts across Victoria by 2026.

Unveiling an exciting 2024 ahead for Victoria Law Foundation

VLF Executive Director Lynne Haultain gave a quick update on the launch of Volume 2 of the Public Understanding of Law Survey (PULS), and the busy year ahead for VLF.

“[Volume 2] is cutting-edge stuff. What we have done for the first time anywhere on the planet is a population-level sample of people's capability in the law … PULS will give us an extraordinarily rich picture of the experience of law in Victoria which will set us up for years to come.”

Expanding legal services in Western Victoria

Senior Lawyer Adrian Tinetti shared the exciting work happening at the Ballarat & Grampians Community Legal Service. They are expanding their reach further west, opening a new office in Horsham where there’s a need for in-person support to the community in Western Victoria.

We are grateful to Wadawurrung Traditional Owners Aboriginal Corporation for presenting a moving and warm Welcome to Country.

The Breakfast was hosted by Ballarat & Grampians Community Legal Service in partnership with Victoria Law Foundation and the Ballarat & District Law Association.

VLF would like to thank the Ballarat & Grampians Community Legal Service, and in particular Belinda Devine, Paula Sharry-Pierce and Adrian Tinetti, for hosting this Legal Laneway Breakfast.

You can discover the first two volumes of PULS on the dedicated website.

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