Public information and activities all this week

Press, 1 May 1989, Page 32

Public information and activities all this week

To further educate the public about the law and current legal issues the local Law Week Committee has developed a weeklong programme of public information and activity. During this week in the morning and evening newspapers there will be published under the 1989 National Law Week heading a series of articles on legal topics of general public interest.

These articles will develop on themes published during the first Canterbury Law Week, with a focus on legal issues that commonly confront the wider public. Every day this week a series of lunchtime and evening seminars and panel discussions will be conducted in the Canterbury Provincial Chambers, in the old Courts building in Durham Street.

As with the daily articles in the newspapers the emphasis will be on topicality and relevance to the interests of the general public. Guest speakers will be a feature of both the seminars and discussions.

Topics will include the Treaty of Waitangi, De

Facto Property Law, Property Rights for the Incapacitated, Driving Legislation, Families in Trouble, Property Transactions, and the Regulation of Commercial Business.

It is intended that these sessions will be proceeded by readings by eminent local lawyers, from “Misleading Cases” and similar legal works in a lighter vein.

There will also be a photographic and memorabilia display in the Provincial Chambers depicting aspects of Canterbury’s legal history.

A window display by the skilled windows dressers of J. Ballantyne and Co., with a legal theme will be another part of the publicity for Law Week.

Conducted tours of the Court buildings at 2 p.m. every afternoon taking in both the old and new Court buildings will also be available for the public.

Two other programmes which were adjudged a great success in last year’s Law Week are to be repeated this year,

firstly the “Phone In” free legal information/referral service, and secondly a programme of school visits by lawyers.

In 1988 the “Phone In” service logged over 100 calls per day and fielded a wide variety of enquiries from the general public.

(For further information refer to the story headed “Talk to A Lawyer” on the proceeding page.)

The school visits programme offers schools the opportunity not only to obtain information about legal careers, but also offers presentations on legal subjects which tie in with schools’ existing legal education curricula.

In summary, Canterbury’s 1989 Law Week will be aiming to improve the public’s awareness of the role of law in everyday life, and an understanding of the role of lawyers.