A practising lawyer’s unfiltered take on the tools that are reshaping the profession — and why the naysayers are missing the point. The Arc of a Revolution Let’s begin in 2017, because context matters enormously in law, and it matters here too. In 2017, the artificial intelligence conversation was still largely one of charming, well-publicised...
EthicsBeyond the Heist: How a Culture of Reckless Spending Fed Victoria’s $15 Billion Corruption Crisis
19 February 2026
By Manus AI | Feb 19, 2026 The recent revelations from Geoffrey Watson SC’s “Rotting from the Top” report have rightfully sparked outrage, detailing a cesspool of criminality within the CFMEU that siphoned an estimated $15 billion from Victoria’s Big Build projects. The stories of extortion, bikie infiltration, and brazen graft are shocking. Yet, to...
EthicsThe Erosion of Accountability: Premier Allan, IBAC, and the Call for a Royal Commission
18 February 2026
Premier Jacinta Allan’s handling of the CFMEU scandal has emerged as a crucial case study in political accountability, less a question of technical legal breach and more a profound failure of the Westminster system that underpins governance in Victoria. As practitioners and voters assess the integrity of their government, a distinction must be drawn between...
ConveyancingEthicsThe Underquoting Playbook: Unethical Practices by Victorian Real Estate Agents
15 November 2025
Underquoting, the illegal practice of deliberately listing a property for less than its estimated value to attract more potential buyers, remains a systemic issue in the Australian property market, with Victorian agents employing a range of unethical tricks to circumvent the law. These practices contravene the Victorian Estate Agents Act 1980 and related professional conduct...
EthicsThe Lawyer’s Dilemma: Slow to Adopt, Quick to Master
16 September 2025
It’s a familiar narrative in the legal world: lawyers approach new technology with a level of caution that borders on suspicion. They circle innovation, armed with a long list of questions and a healthy dose of skepticism. But a fascinating pattern emerges time and again. Once convinced of its value, lawyers don’t just adopt technology—they...
EthicsBackdating Legal Documents in Victoria: A Cardinal Sin with Serious Consequences
10 September 2025
It’s a scenario that might seem tempting. A handshake deal was finalised years ago, but the formal paperwork was never completed. A crucial contract was signed and executed, but the original has been lost to time. The urge to simply create a new document and date it in the past—to “fix” the problem quickly—can be...
EthicsUncategorisedThe Wisdom of Delegation: Why Good Lawyers and Accountants Are Worth Their Weight in Peace of Mind
25 August 2025
“You can pretend to be happy if you want to,” Joey Bishop once told a reporter with characteristic bluntness. “I’m a worrier by nature,” he confessed to another. “No worrier is ever good-humored. I don’t know if a worrier ever is happy.” The comedian, known as the “Frown Prince” of Frank Sinatra’s legendary Rat Pack,...
EthicsAI in the Courtroom: A Top Lawyer’s Blunder and the New Reality for Australian Law
16 August 2025
A senior Victorian lawyer’s apology to a Supreme Court Justice has sent a shockwave through the Australian legal community, highlighting the high-stakes reality of using artificial intelligence in practice. In August 2025, Rishi Nathwani KC, a respected King’s Counsel, was forced to take “full responsibility” for filing submissions in a murder case that were riddled...
Elder AbuseEstate PlanningEthicsProbate & WillsThe War Hero, The Hairdresser, and the Will: A Tragic Lesson from Re Maddock
13 August 2025
He was a decorated hero of World War II. Norman William Maddock signed up to fight at 17, served in Tobruk, and was captured during the fierce Battle of Crete before making a daring escape back to Allied lines. In his later years, however, this tenacious soldier faced a different kind of battle—one of failing...
EthicsInternationalTaxing Progress: Why Australia’s Proposed EV Tax is a U-Turn on Our Future
12 August 2025
There’s a special kind of gobsmacking irony in the Australian government’s latest brain bubble: slapping a new tax on the very people who are actively trying to do the right thing. Federal MP Tanya Plibersek has called the idea of a new road tax for electric vehicle (EV) drivers “sensible” 1, a sentiment flagged earlier...
