18 March 2020

The requirements for MCPD compliance are prescribed by the Legal Practitioners Education and Admission Council (LPEAC) and form part of the 2018 LPEAC Rules (see Rules 13 and 14 and Annexure C).
 
The Society has no powers to amend or waive compliance with the rules in relation to MCPD. That is the exclusive preserve of LPEAC.
 
The Society has no power to reduce, waive or extend time limits for completion of prescribed MCPD other than via the processes approved by LPEAC (and set out in Annexure C of the 2018 LPEAC Rules) as follows:

1. Section 5 of Annexure C permits practitioners who are not able to complete prescribed MCPD by 31 March because of prescribed circumstances to apply for a reduction in the prescribed MCPD they need to complete.
2. Section 7 of Annexure C prescribes a process by which practitioners who have not completed required MCPD for any reason are granted until 31 May to rectify non-compliance.

Your attention is drawn to the following:

• Attending at CPD sessions is not the only type of approved MCPD activity. There is a broad range of alternatives many of which can be completed at no cost.
• Attendance at a CPD activity via webinar is classed as an attendance for MCPD purposes. The cap with respect to recorded/multi-media or web-based materials does not apply to Webinar.
• Practitioners who completed more than their prescribed number of units in the previous MCPD period can carry over extra units completed in January to March to this period.

Click here for detailed information about all of these matters and how to apply for prescribed circumstances reduction or non-compliance rectification pursuant to Sections 5 and 7 of Annexure C.
 
Please forward all other queries by email to ethicsandpractice@lawsocietysa.asn.au.