Monday 24 March 2025
The Legal Services Council (Council)’s Admissions Committee and the Law Admissions Consultative Committee (LACC) invite written submissions on proposed revisions to the Accreditation Standards for Australian Law Courses. The revisions will update the Standards to address the emergence of online delivery and new digital technologies, as well as other matters such as intensive or block delivery.
Click here (PDF, 304.3 KB) (PDF, 304.3 KB) for the consultation paper and click here (PDF, 255.3 KB) (PDF, 255.3 KB) for the draft revised Standards. A feedback form is also available by clicking here (DOCX, 22.6 KB) (DOCX, 22.6 KB) .
Please send submissions to submissions@legalservicescouncil.org.au by Friday 20 June 2025.
Unless you advise us otherwise, your submission may be published on the Council’s website and shared with the Council, Admissions Committee and the LACC, and may also be shared with other organisations that contribute to this consultation.
11 December 2023
The Legal Services Council received the report of Dr Matthew Butlin AM, independent expert consultant and leader of the review of the costs disclosure thresholds, at its meeting on 28 September 2023.
The Council has agreed in principle to progress the recommendations in the report and endorsed a plan for the implementation of the recommendations over 2024. This work will begin with the development of updated standard costs disclosure forms and associated guidance and an updated information sheet for legal practitioners.
Click here (PDF, 2.9 MB) for the final report and here (PDF, 93.4 KB) for the implementation plan.
5 May 2023
A consultation paper has been released as part of the Council’s review of the costs disclosure thresholds (Review).
The consultation paper invites feedback on:
The consultation paper is informed by discussion with key stakeholders including government agencies, regulatory authorities, legal professional associations and those who work with consumers.
The Review is considering and will report on the effectiveness and regulatory impact of the costs disclosure thresholds referred to in s 174(4) and (5) of the Uniform Law, including whether they meet the objectives of the Uniform Law.
The Council appointed Dr Matthew Butlin as the expert consultant and leader of the Review. Submissions in response to the consultation paper will inform Dr Butlin’s final report which will be considered by the Council.
Submissions can be sent to submissions@legalservicescouncil.org.au by 2 June 2023 and will be published on the Council's website unless you ask for your submission to be treated as confidential.
Click here for the consultation paper (PDF, 2.0 MB)
A letter from Justice Connect was also received during the initial consultation period:
Dr Butlin is considering the submissions received in response to the consultation paper.
30 September 2022
The Legal Services Council (Council) has established a Review of the Costs Disclosure Thresholds in the Legal Profession Uniform Law (Uniform Law).
The Review will consider and report on the effectiveness and regulatory impact of the Costs Disclosure Thresholds referred to in section 174(4) and (5) of the Uniform Law, including whether they meet the objectives of the Uniform Law. The Terms of Reference for the Review outline matters that the Review will have particular regard to and are available here (PDF, 64.1 KB).
The Review will take an evidenced-based approach and may make recommendations for amendments to the Legal Profession Uniform General Rules 2015, the Short Form Costs Disclosure Forms, the Costs Disclosure Forms Information Sheets and the Guidelines and Directions on Costs Estimates, if considered necessary. The Review will not consider or make recommendations for amendments to the Uniform Law, as any such recommendations may be considered during the five year review of the Uniform Law.
The Review will consult widely with relevant bodies, including the Designated Local Regulatory Authorities, other legal regulatory authorities, Law Societies, Bar Associations and consumer and business groups. The Council will contact relevant bodies to arrange consultation meetings in due course. A public consultation paper, inviting submissions, will also be published once initial consultations have taken place.
The Council has appointed Dr Matthew Butlin as the expert independent consultant and leader of the Review. Dr Butlin’s former roles have included Commissioner of the Australian Productivity Commission (2007-2008), Executive Chair of the Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission (2008-2015) and the South Australian Productivity Commission (2018-2021), and the Victorian Red Tape Commissioner (2015-2018). Dr Butlin is also an honorary Enterprise Professor at the Melbourne University’s Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research. A copy of Dr Butlin’s CV is available here (PDF, 102.6 KB).
Dr Butlin will report to the Council at the conclusion of the Review.
24 Mar 2025