PROGRAM

The theme for the 2025 Australian Bar Association Annual Conference is

Program Outline

An address by the Hon Justice Andrew Bell, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of NSW.

Panel session topics:

The role of the modern Attorney-General

Justice in an era of heightened scrutiny

Forced adoption cases – a new frontier

Anti money laundering legislation and what it means for the Bar

The metes and bounds of Anti-Corruption Bodies

Friday 29 August 2025

Time	Title	Speaker
8:00 am - 9:00 am	Registration
	Session 1 Location: Great Room, W Sydney
9:00 am - 9:15 am	Welcome
9:15 am - 10:00 am	Opening Address \| The Hon Justice Andrew Bell, Chief Justice of NSW will address a pressing issue of relevance to the judiciary	The Hon Chief Justice Andrew Bell
10:00 am - 11:00 am	Panel 1 \| Justice in an era of heightened scrutiny	Chair: The Hon Justice Nye Perram Gina Schoff KC Professor David Rolph
11:00 am - 11:30 am	Morning Tea
	Session 2 Location: Great Room, W Sydney
11:30 am - 12:30 pm	Invited speaker \| Raelene Sharp KC, Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions	Raelene Sharp KC
12:30 pm - 1:30 pm	Lunch
	Session 3 Location: Great Room, W Sydney
1:30 pm - 2:15 pm	Panel 2 \| The role of the modern Attorney-General	Chair: Fiona Roughley SC Deputy Chief Justice Robert McLelland The Honourable George Brandis KC
2:15 pm - 3:00 pm	Panel 3 \| Forced adoption cases – a new frontier	Chair: Perry Herzfeld SC Roisin Annesley KC Gemma-Jane Cooper Fiona Ryan SC
3:00 pm - 3:30 pm	Afternoon Tea
	Session 4 Location: Great Room, W Sydney
3:30 pm - 4:15 pm	Panel 4 \| The metes and bounds of Anti-Corruption Bodies	Chair: The Hon Justice Chris Shanahan, Chief Justice of Tasmania Gail Furness SC Greg O’Mahoney
4:15 pm - 5:00 pm	Panel 5 \| Anti Money Laundering Legislation: What it means for barristers	Chair: Ermelinda Kovacs Tim Game SC Lachlan Molesworth
5:00 pm - 5:15 pm	Closing remarks
7:30 pm – 10:30 pm	Gala Dinner Location: Great Room, W Sydney	Guest Speaker: The Hon Chief Justice Richard Niall

*Program is subject to change.