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From the Dean's Desk
     
Professor Gabriël A. Moens
Dean and Professor of Law

 

  

Murdoch Law School has been a hectic and energetic place in 2006. Even a perfunctory review of the School’s website reveals that the School pursues excellence in all its activities. I commend the website to you: it is updated almost on a daily basis and provides you with information on the numerous scholarly, educational, research and social activities of the School. Nevertheless, it is appropriate to reflect briefly on the achievements of the School in 2006. However, I do this with a certain amount of trepidation because I cannot possibly mention all the events that took place in the School in 2006: there were many, and my review is inevitably a selection of these activities.

In 2006, Murdoch has developed a formidable reputation in the field of advocacy training. This reputation has been cemented by the establishment of the Moot Court Bench. As far as I know, Murdoch is the only law school in Australia with a Moot Court Bench. It has already established itself as a major player in the education we offer at Murdoch. It has worked diligently to improve the writing and advocacy skills of our students. It has also developed a Judge-in-Residence Programme. The Moot Court Bench also capably managed the Seventh International Maritime Law Arbitration Moot which was hosted by the School in June.

A number of well-attended Seminars were organised or hosted by the School in 2006. Let me mention just a few:

  • In June, SCALES organised a most successful Seminar on proposed amendments to Australia’s refugee legislation.
  • On Thursday, 28 September, scholars from every part of Australia and overseas met in the Freehills Electronic Moot Court to discuss recent developments in International Commercial Arbitration law and practice.

  • The Honourable Justice Michael Kirby, Justice of the High Court of Australia gave a lecture in the Freehills Electronic Moot Court on 26 October on Judicial Dissent: Annoying Irrelevancy or Institutional Necessity.

  • Successful Seminars on Trends in American Legal Education and Islamic Law were conducted by American Professors, and

  • Most recently, the School hosted a most successful Justice Research Day.

In 2006, the School continued to develop close links with the legal and business communities. SCALES continued to thrive in 2006. Members of its immigration practice have successfully argued for many refugees, with some cases going to the Refugee Review Tribunal and the Federal Court. SCALES now also offers students a unique opportunity to appear in Court on a regular basis and to advocate on behalf of clients while still at Law School. Indeed, as a response to increasing enquiries from tenants in relation to their rights and obligations under Residential Tenancy Agreements, SCALES implemented the Tenants Advice and Court Service (TACS) in August of this year.

The Honourable Justice Christopher Steytler, President of the Court of Appeals officially launched the Western Australian Institute of Dispute Management (WAIDM) on Thursday, 28 September 2006 during a function at Murdoch Law School. WAIDM was established for the purpose of providing training in the fields of arbitration and mediation, and conducting arbitrations and mediations for the legal and business communities. Last week, it conducted its first Professional Training in Arbitration Law and Practice Programme, which is accredited by the Chartered Institute of Arbitrators, London.

The School is particularly proud of its new Graduate Certificate in Australian Migration Law, which commenced in September 2006. Students who successfully complete this programme of study are eligible to register as a Migration Agent.

I list some of the other achievements of the School in 2006:

  • The School developed a new Pre-Law programme that will offer an alternative route to admission for members of the community;
  • The School reached out to its Alumni and organised an Alumni function in October;
  • The School’s first ever Research Day was also held in October.

All these achievements and developments indicate that the School is an energetic entity on the way up that delivers measurable results to its students, staff and alumni.

The School looks forward with confidence to 2007. Our first ever Summer Programme in Law starts in January, with specialised units in International Environmental Law, E-Business Law, History of Law, and Conflict of Laws offered by prominent foreign and interstate Professors. The direction the School embarked upon in 2005 will continue into 2007: that is internationalisation, with the likely introduction of a Graduate Certificate in Chinese Law, to be offered in conjunction with a Chinese University; the development of a Masters of Law degree to be offered intensively interstate; and the offering of our Bachelor of Legal Studies degree in APMI, Kaplan, Singapore. The School, in responding to the needs of the legal profession, is strengthening and diversifying its commercial law offerings. New units for 2007 include Law of Secured Transactions, Planning Law, Trade Practices Law, Refugee Law, and Trial Advocacy.

In short, Murdoch Law School is committed to the pursuit of excellence in legal education. As such, we want to provide our students with an intellectually stimulating and socially rewarding educational experience. But in pursuing excellence in legal education, I am reminded of the words of Ralph Marston, who said that, “Excellence is not a skill. It is an attitude”. Perhaps I should like to add that, at the best of times, it takes a long time to bring excellence to maturity. But Murdoch Law School is committed to providing quality outcomes for the School, whilst raising its profile nationally and internationally.


 

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