Dr WOODRUFF (Franklin) - Mr Deputy Speaker, the Greens are happy to support these amendments. In the words of Chris Gunson from the Tasmanian Bar, they are both necessary and appropriate amendments to make.
Unfortunately I did not have time to consult with the other stakeholders. As is the practice of this Government, there is often too little time to pay attention to the details in these bills because of the time that we have to look at them. A comment that might be relevant for the Government to consider is whether a review of the principal act itself is required.
One of the stakeholders, Mr Gunson, from the Bar Association did make the point that perversely the Legal Profession Act is one of the worst drafted acts around and this is yet another anomaly within it that has required correction. I do not know if his is a lone voice but if it is a range of problems it might signal a wideranging review of the act and that would be a significant undertaking. The act was assented to in 2007 so it has only been 11 years. I am not aware of whether there are other systemic complaints in the legal community about additional problems that need to be addressed, but it was certainly identified as an important matter to fix. It does provide clarity around the jurisdiction of the court in hearing an appeal to the board.
I do not have anything else to add to this discussion and I am happy to support the amendments to this bill.