GL Insights
Canberra’s New Reportable Conduct Scheme – child protection obligations in the employment space
The new Reportable Conduct Scheme is now effective in Canberra, as of 1 July 2017. The ACT government passed legislation introducing the Scheme subsequent to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The Scheme is designed to ensure that allegations concerning child protection are identified, reported and acted on appropriately, at an …
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AFP workforce says “NO”
Yesterday, AFP employees delivered a clear message to the AFP Executive that they will not accept the Enterprise Agreement being offered by the AFP. 87.2% of employees cast a vote, and of those 80.88% voted no, meaning that only 19.12% voted yes. To set the scene, the circumstances leading into the vote were as follows: …
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Government Snapshot: Proposed Procurement Enforcement Regime
There has been a lot of discussion around the proposed changes to the way Commonwealth Government procures goods and services, in the form of the Government Procurement (Judicial Review) Bill 2017 (the Bill). The Bill was presented before the House of Represenatives on 25 May 2017. Of great importance is the introduction of a mechinism …
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The Importance of Performance Management in a ‘Throw-Away’ Culture Era
The importance of performance management to private employers and government departments cannot be overstated. Performance management is more than the process of evaluating and managing employees to ensure that the employer is meeting its obligations. The benefits to effectively managing employees can be wide-reaching to both employers and employees, especially when you consider the huge …
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IMPORTANT NOTICE: MANDATORY DATA BREACH NOTIFICATION BILL PASSED
It is the Bill that has done the rounds of Parliament and been the subject of much anticipation and commentary. Privacy nerds everywhere (read: Griffin Legal staff) were waiting with baited breath to see if the latest amendments to the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) would be passed. On 13 February 2017, the Privacy Amendment (Notifiable …
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Contracts for children in sport – potentially more than just a “minor” inconvenience
At common law, minors have always been able to enter into binding contracts. The common law originally stated that contracts entered into by persons under 21 were “voidable at his or her option”. That is, the minor could choose to enforce the contract, or to avoid it. The Commonwealth and the States and Territories have …
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Part of a government tender evaluation committee? Want to know your obligations?
A tender evaluation committee is responsible for ensuring that a government procurement process is transparent and that procurement related actions are documented, defensible and validated in accordance with probity obligations. Among other things, your job is to protect the Government of the day from allegations of impropriety in government purchasing. This blog provides an overview …
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New Year, New Will!
A new Will may not be the first thing on your new year’s resolution list, however it is very important to consider. If you do not have a Will or your circumstances substantially changed in 2016, the fresh new year is a good time to organise your estate planning. An outdated Will can be as …
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Brumbies into 2017
Opinion Piece – Peter J McGrath As the new year is upon us, I thought it would be an appropriate opportunity to give an update on the activities at the Brumbies. As we move into another important year in the history of the organisation, I was generally hoping that things would be more positive, and …
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Your Facebook, Your Intellectual Property.
A cautionary tale of the rights you give away. A few months ago, as I sat in a meeting that was increasing in tempo at a remarkable speed, one attendee at the meeting quipped, “intellectual property has no value”. As I heard this and started to explain to this person that for some business’ intellectual …
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