Mrs BRAHAM - 1995-08-15
Can the Attorney-General inform the House about the establishment of the South-East Asian Law Centre at the NTU?
ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I can confirm that Northern Territory University has established the South-East Asian Law Centre. It is exciting to see the level of sophistication evolving in the continuing development of our relationship with South-East Asia. A key part of that is understanding the differences between Australian law and the laws of our Asian neighbours. Northern Territory University has reacted by providing an excellent facility that will enable our legal profession to deal far more effectively and efficiently with South-East Asia, and that will support the export of services by offering distance education in a comparison of those laws. It will also assist the South-East Asian legal fraternity to work more effectively with Australian statutes and common law-based systems such as our own.
The Law Society of the Northern Territory deserves congratulation because the establishment of a chair in South-East Asian Law in the Faculty of Law at Northern Territory University is being funded with the sum of $750 000 from the society's Legal Practitioners Fidelity Fund. That has been made possible by the Northern Territory government underwriting that fund by guaranteeing that, if the fund ever falls below $1m, the government will provide the additional resources to meet the shortfall. We do not anticipate that occurring, because the fidelity fund contains significantly more funds than that, even after the withdrawal of the $750 000.
The South-East Asian Law Centre is located in the faculty of law at Northern Territory University. It is the only such teaching and research centre in the region that focuses on South-East Asian comparative law. It has been established with a generous grant from the Law Society of the Northern Territory that has been underwritten by the Northern Territory government. The centre's objectives are: to promote research into and an understanding of South-East Asian law and legal systems; to promote an understanding of the Australian legal system and laws within South-East Asia; to promote research into and an understanding of comparative law; to conduct courses and programs, principally at the post-graduate level, with a focus on South-East Asian law and legal systems in comparative law; to sponsor conferences, and offer seminars and continuing legal education programs focusing on South-East Asian law and legal systems in comparative law; to provide a network for consultancies and research for individuals or bodies interested in aspects of South-East Asian law; to develop and foster links with universities and other institutions in the region; to foster
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an interdisciplinary approach to the study of South-East Asian issues; and to cooperate with the legal profession in promoting the interests of the profession in the region.
In the Northern Territory University News Bulletin, the dean of the university's faculty of law, Professor Aughterson, said that the centre is being set up as a teaching and research centre. It will offer a master's degree in comparative law externally, which is a first for an Australian university. There will be 15 specialists in the field of Asian comparative law drawn from universities throughout the ASEAN and Australasian region. They have been retained as consultants and adjunct professors to write the course. Professor Aughterson points out that the laws of Asian countries vary and, if trade and commerce are to develop between Australia and the countries to our near north, a better understanding is necessary of their legal systems. The interim director of the centre is Associate Professor Jesse Wu. She notes that it will be publishing an international journal of South-East Asian and comparative law as part of the operations.
This is an excellent initiative within our educational system to provide the capacity for our businesses to obtain the best legal advice on dealing with developments in trade with South-East Asia. It is a great opportunity for the legal profession to hone its skills and to take advantage of the emerging trade and commercial relationships between Australia and the South-East Asian region.
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ANSWER
Mr Speaker, I can confirm that Northern Territory University has established the South-East Asian Law Centre. It is exciting to see the level of sophistication evolving in the continuing development of our relationship with South-East Asia. A key part of that is understanding the differences between Australian law and the laws of our Asian neighbours. Northern Territory University has reacted by providing an excellent facility that will enable our legal profession to deal far more effectively and efficiently with South-East Asia, and that will support the export of services by offering distance education in a comparison of those laws. It will also assist the South-East Asian legal fraternity to work more effectively with Australian statutes and common law-based systems such as our own.
The Law Society of the Northern Territory deserves congratulation because the establishment of a chair in South-East Asian Law in the Faculty of Law at Northern Territory University is being funded with the sum of $750 000 from the society's Legal Practitioners Fidelity Fund. That has been made possible by the Northern Territory government underwriting that fund by guaranteeing that, if the fund ever falls below $1m, the government will provide the additional resources to meet the shortfall. We do not anticipate that occurring, because the fidelity fund contains significantly more funds than that, even after the withdrawal of the $750 000.
The South-East Asian Law Centre is located in the faculty of law at Northern Territory University. It is the only such teaching and research centre in the region that focuses on South-East Asian comparative law. It has been established with a generous grant from the Law Society of the Northern Territory that has been underwritten by the Northern Territory government. The centre's objectives are: to promote research into and an understanding of South-East Asian law and legal systems; to promote an understanding of the Australian legal system and laws within South-East Asia; to promote research into and an understanding of comparative law; to conduct courses and programs, principally at the post-graduate level, with a focus on South-East Asian law and legal systems in comparative law; to sponsor conferences, and offer seminars and continuing legal education programs focusing on South-East Asian law and legal systems in comparative law; to provide a network for consultancies and research for individuals or bodies interested in aspects of South-East Asian law; to develop and foster links with universities and other institutions in the region; to foster
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an interdisciplinary approach to the study of South-East Asian issues; and to cooperate with the legal profession in promoting the interests of the profession in the region.
In the Northern Territory University News Bulletin, the dean of the university's faculty of law, Professor Aughterson, said that the centre is being set up as a teaching and research centre. It will offer a master's degree in comparative law externally, which is a first for an Australian university. There will be 15 specialists in the field of Asian comparative law drawn from universities throughout the ASEAN and Australasian region. They have been retained as consultants and adjunct professors to write the course. Professor Aughterson points out that the laws of Asian countries vary and, if trade and commerce are to develop between Australia and the countries to our near north, a better understanding is necessary of their legal systems. The interim director of the centre is Associate Professor Jesse Wu. She notes that it will be publishing an international journal of South-East Asian and comparative law as part of the operations.
This is an excellent initiative within our educational system to provide the capacity for our businesses to obtain the best legal advice on dealing with developments in trade with South-East Asia. It is a great opportunity for the legal profession to hone its skills and to take advantage of the emerging trade and commercial relationships between Australia and the South-East Asian region.
Page 698
Last updated: 09 Aug 2016