APLEC

Australasian Professional Legal Education Community Ltd

 

About APLEC

Our Constitution

AUSTRALASIAN PROFESSIONAL LEGAL EDUCATION COUNCIL

CONSTITUTION

(Adopted - November 2010)

NAME

  1. The name of the organisation is the Australasian Professional Legal Education Council.

 

INTERPRETATION

  1. In this Constitution, unless the contrary intention appears:

Admitting Authority’ means the authority for approving the admission of persons to be Barristers and/or Solicitors in the relevant jurisdiction.

APLEC’ means the Australasian Professional Legal Education Council.

Associate’ means an associate accepted for membership of APLEC pursuant to clause 6.

Course’ means any undergraduate or postgraduate Practical Legal Training Course which is conducted for the purposes of qualifying graduates of the Course for admission to practise as a member of the legal profession or as a pre-requisite, following admission, for full practising rights.

Delegate’ means a representative of a member appointed by the member to the Council.

Member’ means a Course accepted for membership of APLEC pursuant to clauses 4 and 5.

‘Special Resolution’ means a resolution passed by a 75% majority of the members present and voting at a meeting of the Council.

 

OBJECTS

  1. The objects of APLEC are:

3.1  The furtherance of professional legal education and of the work and interests of those engaged in professional legal education in Australasia and elsewhere.

3.2  The encouragement and organisation of publications concerning professional legal education.

3.3  The promotion of active co-operation of Australasian Legal Practice Courses with one another, with Legal Practice Courses elsewhere and with Law Schools, tertiary institutions and professional bodies in Australasia and elsewhere.

3.4  The maintenance of close relations with Law Schools and tertiary institutions and the legal profession in Australasia and elsewhere.

3.5  Co-operation with professional bodies and other bodies in the work of law reform.

3.6  The collection and publication of information about the functions and needs of Legal Practice Courses.

3.7  The organisation of an annual or biennial Conference.

 

MEMBERSHIP

  1. The members of APLEC as at the date of this Constitution are the Courses listed below:

Australian Capital Territory
Australian National University - Legal Workshop

New South Wales
College of Law
University of Newcastle
University of Wollongong
University of Technology Sydney
University of Western Sydney

New Zealand
Institute of Professional Legal Studies
College of Law New Zealand

Papua New Guinea
Legal Training Institute

Queensland
Queensland University of Technology - Legal Practice Course
Bond University - Professional Legal Training Course
Griffith University – Legal Practice Centre
College of Law Queensland

South Australia
University of South Australia - Legal Practice Course
Flinders University

Tasmania
University of Tasmania - Tasmanian Legal Practice Course

Victoria
Leo Cussen Institute
College of Law Victoria

  1. Any Course which has been accredited by the admitting authority for a country, state or territory may apply to the Council for membership of APLEC.
  1. Applications for membership will be referred to the Council for consideration at its meeting. The Council may approve applications for membership only by special resolution.
  1. A Course will cease to be a member of APLEC if:

7.1  The Course withdraws from Membership.

7.2  The Course ceases to exist or ceases to be accredited for the purposes set out in clause 5.

7.3  The Course is removed from membership by special resolution of the Council.

 

ASSOCIATES

  1. Staff engaged in the education and training of students of Legal Practice Courses and other persons who have an interest in the area of legal professional education and who support the objects of APLEC may apply to be an Associate.
  1. Applications for Associate Membership shall be approved by the Council or by its delegate.
  1. Associate membership shall apply for a calendar year and shall be renewable.
  1. A person will cease to be an Associate of APLEC if:
  • the person withdraws from APLEC
  • the person ceases to be qualified as an Associate pursuant to clause 8
  • the person is removed as an Associate by special resolution of the Council.

 

LIFE AND HONORARY ASSOCIATES

  1. The Council may, in accordance with its guidelines, confer Life or Honorary Associate status on any person.

 

ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTION

  1. Members and Associates shall pay such annual subscription, if any, as is fixed by the Council.

 

REGISTER OF MEMBERS

  1. A Register of Members and of Associates shall be kept by the Secretariat.

 

THE COUNCIL

  1. The Council shall be responsible for managing the affairs of APLEC.
  1. The Council shall consist of up to two (2) delegates per member.
  1. The Council shall meet at least twice in each year.

 

VOTING

  1. At meetings of the Council each member may, through one of its delegates, exercise only one (1) vote provided that no one organisation, its branches, subsidiaries or affiliates may exercise more than 25% of the votes for the total membership.

 

CHAIRPERSON

  1. The Chairperson shall be elected annually by the Council.  A Chairperson shall not be entitled to hold office for more than two successive terms.

 

EXECUTIVE

  1. The Executive Committee shall consist of the Chairperson, the Immediate Past Chairperson, Secretary and up to 5 additional delegates elected annually by the Council provided that not more than 2 members of the Executive Committee may be representatives of the one organisation, of a branch or subsidiary of that organisation or affiliated to that organisation or to each other.  The Executive Committee may exercise such powers as are delegated to it by the Council.

 

SECRETARIAT

  1. The Council shall appoint a Secretariat from time to time.

 

FUNDS

  1. The funds of the Council, other than those funds required for the annual conference, shall be held by the Secretariat.

 

MEETINGS

  1. The Council shall hold an annual general meeting of members and Associates.

 

CONFERENCES

  1. The Council shall hold annual or biennial conferences to be held at such time and in such location as the Council determines.

 

REPRESENTATIVES

  1. The Council may appoint representatives to other organisations.

 

AMENDMENT TO CONSTITUTION

  1. This Constitution may be amended by a resolution passed by a 75% majority of members present and voting at a meeting of the Council of which not less than 14 days’ notice has been given to all members.

APLEC board members work across Woiwurrung, Boonwurrung, Eora, Yuggera and Turrbal, and Whadjuk country. We acknowledge and pay our respects to Aboriginal elders and community of the 250 nations of this continent. We also acknowledge and pay our respects to the indigenous peoples of The Torres Strait, Papua New Guinea, Aotearoa, and the South Pacific where we operate. We further seek to uphold the human rights of all indigenous peoples, women, non-binary, LGBTQIA+, and disabled people.

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