Uniform Law introduced in Western Australia
Posted on Aug 4, 2022
Following the passage of the Legal Profession Uniform Law Application Bill 2021 through the State Parliament in April 2022, the scheme became operational in Western Australia on the 1st of July 2022. To date, the CPD compliance requirements remain unchanged for Western Australian lawyers.
- Three-quarters of Australian practising lawyers are now regulated by the Uniform Law
- Adopting the scheme will enable WA lawyers to practise within New South Wales and Victoria with more ease
- WA lawyers still need to do their CPD with QA Providers and share their Practitioner ID to maintain their CPDMS records updated
The Uniform Law scheme now regulates 75% of Australia’s practising lawyers
New South Wales and Victoria were the first states to sign to the Uniform Law scheme. The law was enacted in Victoria in 2014 and adopted as an applied law in NSW in May 2014, and commenced on 1 July 2015.
In February 2019, Western Australia signed a landmark agreement to become the third state to join the Uniform Law scheme - which came into force in July 2022.
What does the Uniform Law achieve for lawyers in WA?
The Uniform Law “harmonises regulation of the legal profession, cuts red tape and creates a single system to govern legal practice.”
Western Australian Attorney-General John Quigley
WA lawyers can practise across the participating jurisdictions with ease under the uniform law. Legal practitioners will be kept to the same professional standards ensuring consistency amongst the states.
Firms that operate across different states will experience reduced compliance costs thanks to standardised regulations, simplifying the regulatory system.
The Law Society of Western Australia has created fact sheets providing general information on the affected aspects of the law and regulations. Read more on how Uniform Law will affect Western Australian lawyers.
What is the impact on legal CPD compliance requirements for WA lawyers?
Western Australian legal and regulatory bodies are maintained under the new scheme.
This includes the Legal Practice Board of Western Australia (LPBWA) which will continue to require all CPD providers to obtain QA Provider status to deliver legal education in the state.
In addition, eligible Western Australian lawyers will still be required to share their practitioner IDs with their CPD providers to keep their compliance status updated in the new CPD reporting system (CPDMS).
Compliance checklist for WA Lawyers
- Make sure you choose CPD Providers with QA status - such as LawCPD
- Earn 10 CPD points between April 1 and March 31
- Earn at least 1 point in each mandatory competency area
- If eligible, share your Practitioner ID (or PIN) with your CPD providers
