The Criminal Lawyers Association of the Northern Territory (CLANT) hosted an educational, jam-packed, and enjoyable week at the Hyatt Regency in Sanur, Bali in June 2024. 

This was the first conference since COVID ruined everyone’s travel plans (for work and fun), and it was a resounding success!

Emily and Taylor arrived in Bali early for a couple of days of R&R before kicking off the conference with a bang on the Saturday night for welcome drinks; and Craig made it to Bali perfectly in time to change into Bali appropriate attire and meet at the welcome drinks.

Whilst soaking up the sunshine (and with a cheeky Bintang in hand) our lawyers attended sessions across a whole range of topics, including:
– Running a modern criminal law practice
– Prior inconsistent statements
– Should CLANT go Dutch? A look at the Netherlands prison system
– Ethics in Public Prosecuting
– Cultural Safety in the Criminal Justice System
– And many more…

Craig’s highlight was meeting up with friends (old and new!) from all across the country. A special mention goes to Bill Doogue (Doogue and George Lawyers in Melbourne) who before even saying hello congratulated Craig on being a recent recipient of the Order of Australia Medal.

Emily’s highlight was learning about how approaches to processes differ across the country. Most starkly, the lack of trials by judge alone in some other states!

Taylor’s highlight was combining work with play; it certainly made learning an enjoyable and relaxed experience.

Our sincere thanks go to the organisers of the conference and the whole CLANT team! We eagerly await the announcement of the next conference so we can mark the date in our diary!

This conference has energised our team. We have come back with much enthusiasm to finish 2024 strong.

Written by Solicitor Nathan Ramos