ARCHIVED MEDIA RELEASE
PA/07/2004 16 March 2004
Senior Australian legal delegation visits India to deepen partnership
A senior Australian legal mission led by Solicitor-General Dr David Bennett AO QC, and Sir Laurence Street, AC KCMG QC, Chairman of the Australian Government's International Legal Services Advisory Council (ILSAC), began high-level talks yesterday with their Indian counterparts to expand legal links between the two countries.
The mission is in Delhi to attend the Australia-India Legal Dialogue 2004 on March 15 and 16, jointly organised by the Australian Government, the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI), the Supreme Court Advocates on Record Association and the Indian Council of Arbitration and supported by the Australia-India Council.
"The judicial, legal, professional and legal education and training links between our two countries are growing strongly," said Dr David Bennett AO QC.
"We are meeting and discussing matters of mutual interest in areas such as legal co-operation, commercial law, professional regulation, legal education and training, arbitration and other commercial dispute resolution, as well as international developments in law and legal services. The discussions in New Delhi, and later in Mumbai (16-17 March) and Bangalore (18 March), will strengthen the good relations and friendship between these two legal professions which share so many common interests," said Dr Bennett.
"I believe there is tremendous scope for deeper co-operation between the Indian and Australian legal professions," said Australian High Commissioner to India Penny Wensley AO. "India's strength and competitiveness in IT services is setting the pace for an expansion of trade in professional services. We are also keen to see increased linkages between our respective legal education institutions."
The delegation includes members drawn from across Australia's legal sector representing the Australian Government's Attorney-General's Department, leading commercial Australian law firms and legal consultants, university law schools, legal professional bodies, commercial dispute resolution service providers and the Australian Government's International Legal Services Advisory Council (ILSAC).
In New Delhi, the Solicitor-General met Mr Arun Jaitley, Minister for Law and Justice, Commerce and Industry. He will also meet Mr Anil Baijal, Union Home Secretary, and Mr Ramji Lal Meena, Secretary, Department of Legal Affairs.
For additional information, contact: Ms Clare Duffield, Second Secretary, on 26888223 ext 219.