The Society's Council establishes committees to inform the policy directions of the Society. These committees are established and reviewed at the annual strategic planning meeting to ensure they can adequately support the strategic objectives of the Council. The committees focus on policy development and implementation in relation to specific issues they identify. Committees also have the capacity to form 'ad hoc' working groups.

The committees are comprised of members from the Council and the broader legal profession, supported by the Secretariat. Additionally committees may have a community representative. The meeting schedule is usually determined by the Chairperson of the committee. If you have appropriate expertise in the relevant areas, or would like further information, please contact us.

• Committee appointments are for one year, but members may be re-appointed
• Appointment/removal of members is by resolution of Council

After consideration of the important work of the committees the Council resolved to adopt a Committees Charter at its meeting dated 27 September 2012. The Charter provides that the activities of the committees are overseen as follows:

• Members of Council chair/participate in committees, reporting as required at Council meetings;
• CEO participates in committees, reporting as required at Council meetings;
• CEO draws and signs all correspondence on behalf of the Society coming from committees recommendations;
• CEO to seek advice from the Executive as determined by the CEO;
• Approved minutes of committees to be uploaded to file share service for consideration by Council (PII and Ethics minutes are exceptions to this requirement).

The Council also acknowledges the values as set out in the Committees Charter.

The Charter provides that in the establishment, appointment of chairpersons and members the following values operate as a guide to the Council and others in making recommendations/determinations with respect to committees. The Society values committees that:

• benefit members and support the work of Council and the Strategic Plan;
• maintain a balance of necessary skills and knowledge and a dynamic membership;
• are manageable in terms of numbers and workload;
• maximise profession-wide awareness of and interest in the committees and their role;
• are broadly representative of the Society's membership providing as many Society members as possible with the opportunity to serve as member of a committee;
• foster new leaders of the profession and facilitate the regular introduction of new ideas.

The current committees may be found here.

 

VISION

The pre-eminent voice supporting and advancing the legal profession in the Northern Territory.

VALUES

• Integrity
• Independence
• Accessibility
• Excellence

PURPOSE

Law Society NT will strive to:

1. Represent and support the NT legal profession;
2. Fairly and efficiently uphold the highest standard of professional conduct;
3. Promote the development of fair and just laws; and
4. Advocate for the integrity of the legal system.

GOALS

1. Focus on regulatory matters and prioritising and efficiently dealing with complaints;
2. Expand member wellbeing and welfare programs;
3. Strengthen member engagement across the Northern Territory;
4. Strengthen external stakeholder relationships;
5. Actively build long term organisational sustainability.

 

We, Law Society Northern Territory ABN 62 208 314 893 and associated organisations, are not bound by the National Privacy Principles (NPPs) under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) (Privacy Act) but we nevertheless choose to comply with the NPPs. This policy explains how we handle personal information relating to individuals, whether or not they are members.

TERMINOLOGY

The expression 'personal information' is used in this policy to refer to information or an opinion about an individual whose identity is apparent, or can reasonably be ascertained, from the information or opinion.

INFORMATION COLLECTION

We only collect personal information to the extent that this is necessary for one or more of our objectives as set out in our constitution, namely:

1. to carry out its objects and exercise the powers granted to it pursuant to the Legal Profession Act;
2. to advance the study of law;
3. to promote the administration of justice and development and improvement of law throughout the Territory;
4. to encourage and assist suitable persons to enter into the legal profession;
5. to promote the establishment in the Territory of facilities for legal training;
6. to support and protect the character, status and interest of the legal profession and legal practitioners generally in the Territory;
7. to promote honourable practice, to suppress mal-practice, professional misconduct, unprofessional conduct and unprofessional practice on the part of legal practitioners;
8. to settle disputed points of practice and to decide all questions of professional usage or courtesy between or among legal practitioners;
9. to uphold the honour of the profession of the law and encourage cordial intercourse among members of the legal profession and to arrange social and sporting functions and gatherings among the legal profession, and also social and sporting functions in which the legal profession and other professions may participate;
10. to consider proposed changes in the law and to aid such amendments and reforms thereof as are likely to benefit the public;
11. to consider all questions affecting the interest of the legal profession in the Territory and in that interest to initiate and watch over, and if necessary to petition parliament or promote deputations, in relation to general measures affecting the legal profession and to procure changes of law or practice and the promotion of improvements in the principles and administration of the law;
12. to represent the views and wishes of the legal profession;
13. to promote information on legal subjects by lectures, discussions, books, correspondence with public bodies and individuals or otherwise;
14. to seek, receive and disseminate information relating to any of the stipulated primary objectives;
15. to provide rooms and other facilities for members;
16. to afford assistance to members in their practices as legal practitioners by the provision of services and facilities of all kinds including where appropriate services and facilities for which fees may be charged;
17. to promote and administer or assist in the administration of insurance schemes and retirement and assurance schemes superannuation schemes or provident funds for members or the employees of members;
18. to make arrangements with banks for the payment to the Society of amounts equivalent in amount to/or representing interest on trust monies held by legal practitioners or firms of legal practitioners in trust accounts with banks in the Territory;
19. to receive from banks any monies that may be paid to the Society in accordance with arrangements made under the preceding sub-clause and to hold and stand possessed of all such moneys for public charitable purposes upon the trusts of a Public Purposes Trust Fund and to that end to enter into and execute a Deed of Trust to establish such a Public Purposes Trust Fund on such terms and conditions as the Society may deem appropriate;
20. to promote and administer or assist in the promotion and administration of a Public Purposes Trust Fund as hereinbefore referred to and for such purposes to undertake the office of trustee of such a Public Purposes Trust Fund and to perform and discharge the duties and functions incidental thereto;
21. to amend, vary or alter from time-to-time any such arrangements, trusts, terms and conditions in such manner as the Society may deem appropriate and
22. to do all such things as are incidental or conducive to the attainment of all or any of the above objects.

The types of personal information which we may collect and hold for our activities include, without limitation, an individual's name, personal and business address, personal and business phone number, personal and business email address, age, date of birth, and in some instances credit card information.

We may collect personal information from you in a variety of ways including, without limitation, on forms, questionnaires and surveys, by our website (including collection of cookies being data we store on your computer to keep track of your website preferences), over the telephone, or person-to-person.

If the information we request for the provision of goods or services is not provided to us, we may not be able to provide the goods or services to the person requesting them.

INFORMATION USE AND DISCLOSURE

We will not use or disclose personal information that we collect for any secondary purpose other than the primary purpose of collection without your consent unless:

1. the secondary purpose is related to the primary purpose (directly related if sensitive information) and you would reasonably expect us to use or disclose the information for that secondary purpose;
2. in the case of direct marketing not related to our activities - we have obtained your prior consent (unless it is not reasonably practicable to seek your consent and we otherwise comply with the requirements of the Privacy Act); or
3. the use or disclosure would otherwise be permitted under the Privacy Act, if it were applicable to our activities.

You may at any time request us not to provide you with any further publications by contacting us on the details below.

By using our website you will be deemed to consent to us using your personal information collected by our website for the purposes listed above under 'Information collection'.

EMPLOYEE RECORDS EXEMPTION

The NPPs and this policy do not apply to our acts and practices directly related to a current or former employment relationship between us and an employee, and an employee record held by us relating to the employee.

DATA SECURITY

We will take reasonable steps to protect the personal information which we hold from misuse or loss and from unauthorised access, modification or disclosure.

When using our website you should be aware that no data transmission over the Internet can be guaranteed as totally secure. Although we strive to protect such information, we do not warrant the security of any information that you transmit to us over the Internet, and you do so at your own risk.

OPENNESS

From time-to-time, we may change our policy on how we handle personal information or the types of personal information which we hold. Any changes to our policy will be published on our website.

ACCESS, CORRECTION AND FURTHER INFORMATION

We will provide you with access to your personal information held by us unless we would be permitted under the Privacy Act to refuse to provide you with such access. Please contact us on the details below if you:

1. wish to have access to the personal information which we hold about you;
2. consider that the personal information which we hold about you is not accurate, complete or up to date; or
3. require further information on our personal information handling practices.

Contact details