Insights

‘Hot tubbing’ expert witnesses has been a growing trend in the Victorian judicial system and particularly in the Supreme Court of Victoria, where it is advocated as an expedient and illuminating method of adducing expert evidence (in the appropriate circumstances). Now it seems this trend is expanding beyond its traditional use in the civil courts […]

Introduction The UK case involving Dr Hadiza Bawa-Garba, a junior doctor convicted of manslaughter and subsequently struck off the UK medical register, is raising alarm in the international medical community. The case has sparked discussion among doctors around the world about the role of self-appraisals and highlighted the difficulties faced by junior clinicians working in […]

Most GPs experience infrequent offers of gifts from their patients over the course of their career. Occasional gifts of wine, home-cooked cakes, chocolates and flowers are commonplace in most GP clinics. However, some patients have a tendency to give gifts more frequently, or of greater commercial value, than others. This starts to pose difficult questions […]

In response to a growing number of deaths and harm resulting from the misuse of prescription medicines in Victoria, the government has announced that it will roll out a real-time prescription monitoring system this year. Fred IT Group has been appointed to design and develop the ‘SafeScript’ system, which is intended to provide up-to-date information […]

The Medical Board of Australia (MBA) is currently taking submissions regarding changes it proposes to make to the existing guidelines concerning sexual boundaries in the doctor-patient relationship[1] (Guidelines).  The proposed draft can be found on the Medical Board of Australia website, and will be available for community consultation until 29 March 2018. The review has […]

Meridian Lawyers announced this week that it has appointed Penny Evans as a Principal to the firm’s Sydney property and commercial practice. Penny joins Meridian from Tresscox where she spent 22 years as a Partner in the property practice. She will be accompanied by lawyers Zile Yu and Annelise Morgan. In addition Laura Forsyth, Special Counsel will re-join Penny’s team having been […]

Media release: Meridian Lawyers is pleased to announce that Mark Birbeck, insurance specialist, has joined the firm as a Principal, to head their new Perth office and spearhead its expansion into Western Australia.  Mark joins from HBA lawyers of which he was a founding Partner based in their Perth office. This announcement follows on from […]

Meridian Lawyers has made another strategic play, luring highly regarded insurance law specialist Andrew Sharpe from McCabes to the firm’s Sydney office. Andrew is no stranger to Australian and international insurers, with 25 years’ experience acting as a strategic advisor and practitioner in the fields of insurance law, litigation and dispute resolution.  He has a particular […]

The Paramedicine Board of Australia has released draft registrations standards for public consultation. Now is the time for paramedics and other key stakeholders, including the public, to have their say about the standards that will govern registration when it commences later this year. The Paramedicine Board is accepting feedback on the draft registration standards until […]

On 18 December 2017, the Insurance in Superannuation Working Group (ISWG) released the “Insurance in Superannuation Voluntary Code of Practice” (the Code) for superannuation trustees.  The ISWG is comprised of Australia’s superannuation bodies, the Australian Institute of Superannuation Trustees (AIST), the Association of Superannuation Funds of Australia (ASFA) and the Financial Services Council (FSC).  The […]