History
The Law Society of the Territory for the Seat of Government was formed in 1933 towards
the end of the Great Depression, when Canberra itself was struggling to survive.
There were seven members. The Society owes its genesis to the Queanbeyan based practitioners
who moved 'out to' Canberra during the 1920's. In 1940 the name was changed to the
'Law Society of the Australian Capital Territory'. After a slow beginning, the post
World War II years were a period of expansion, especially in the 1960s with the
accelerated relocation of the Commonwealth public service to Canberra.
With the growth of the population, and consequently the profession, came the need
for a modern regulatory system similar to the surrounding State of New South Wales.
In 1970 the Commonwealth Government passed the ACT Legal Practitioners Ordinance,
which since self government, was called the
Legal Practitioners Act. The Act gave the Society general powers to regulate
the Territory's legal profession.
In June 2006, the Legal Practitioners Act 1970 was replaced by the
Legal Profession Act 2006 and
Regulations. The Legal Profession Act is based on a national Model Law
that aims to standardise the regulation of the Australian legal profession. The
Society continues to regulate the Territory's solicitors. These powers are exercised
in consultation with, or with the approval of, the Attorney-General.