On Thursday November, Australian Disputes Centre hosted its 10th annual Schools Debating Competition. We were honoured to be joined by 42 participating students from 9 different independent and government schools. All students participated in three rounds of both debating and impromptu speaking throughout the day, and our organisers and judges were consistently very impressed by the high standard of speaking from all participating students. This year, ADC introduced an exciting new one-day format for the competition, which was held [...]

by Karen Mak Introduction Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) is commonly used in civil justice. It comprises a range of processes other than judicial determination, including mediation, conciliation, and arbitration, where an independent, third person helps parties resolve disputes.[1] In the criminal justice context, restorative justice - a concept closely associated with ADR - seeks to provide solutions to crime beyond the traditional disciplinary model. It focuses on promoting reconciliation, repairing [...]

by Sean Marriott (Counsel, Clifford Chance) and Lydia Low (Associate Clifford Chance) As of 9 November 2023, the Treasury Laws Amendment (More Competition, Better Prices) Act 2022 (Cth) significantly broadened the Australian unfair contract terms regime such that where: there is a consumer or small business contract; the contract is based on a standard form; and a term in the contract is unfair, the term will be void and the responsible [...]