Wednesday, 12 August 2026 | 9:00am - 1:00pm | In-Person and Via Live Zoom Webinar
3 CPD Units (1.5 Practice Management/Business Skills and 1.5 Professional Skills)
This event contains reference to domestic, family and sexual violence and may be stressing for some individuals.
This half-day CPD seminar will explore contemporary legal responses to domestic, family and gender-based violence through a multidisciplinary lens. Bringing together leading voices from government, the judiciary, legal practice, academia and the community sector, the program will examine femicide, the intersection of family and criminal law, and the systemic challenges involved in preventing and responding to violence. The seminar is designed for practitioners across all areas of law, offering valuable insights into coordinated legal responses and the role lawyers can play in driving meaningful change.
PROGRAM:
8:45am - 9:00am: Registration and Arrival
9:00am - 10:30am: Panel Discussion - Femicide and the Legal Response
Presenters:
Natasha Stott Despoja AC
Alice Rolls, Minister of Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence
Mary Leaker, CEO of Embolden
Moderator: Zandalee Sheldon, Cowell Clarke
This 90-minute panel brings together Ms Natasha Stott Despoja, Minister Alice Rolls MP, and the CEO of Embolden to explore the complex and urgent issue of femicide through a legal and policy lens. The discussion will examine the systemic drivers of gender-based violence and the role of the legal profession in both prevention and response. Panellists will share insights from their respective fields, offering a multidisciplinary perspective on how legal frameworks, advocacy, and reform efforts can better address and prevent these tragedies. The session will also encourage reflection on how practitioners across all areas can contribute to meaningful change within their work. This session will be moderated by Leah Marrone, Barrister, Mitchell Chambers, member of the Women Lawyers Committee, Past President, Australian Women Lawyers, Past President Women Lawyers Association of SA, former member of the Respect at Work Council and Premier's Council for Women, recipient of the Law Society’s Gender Equity in Law Award, listed on the SA Women’s Honour Roll for her work in advocating for women in South Australia.
10:30am - 10:45am: Morning Tea Break
10:45am - 12:15pm: Panel Discussion: Navigating the Intersection of Family and Criminal Law
Presenters:
Judge Anthony Allen, District Court of South Australia
Melissa Collis, Legal Services Commission
Tali Costi, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions
Dr Jenny Richards, Flinders University
Stephanie Vejar, MSM Legal
Moderator: Leah Marrone, Mitchell Chambers
This 90-minute panel brings together practitioner, academic, and judicial perspective to explore the intersection of family and criminal law in family violence matters. Focusing on the realities of navigating overlapping jurisdictions, the discussion will examine key challenges, gaps in current responses, and opportunities for more coordinated and effective approaches to gender-based and family violence. This session will be moderated by Jane Abbey KC, briefed predominantly in criminal, workers compensation, disciplinary and coronial matters. She appears regularly as counsel in trial and appellate matters, in State and Commonwealth jurisdictions.
12:15pm - 1:00pm: Networking Lunch
About the Presenters:
Natasha Stott Despoja AC is a nationally and internationally respected leader and advocate on gender equality and human rights. Natasha was appointed to lead the South Australian Royal Commission into Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence in 2024, which handed down its findings in August 2025. She was the founding Chair of Our Watch, Australia’s national foundation to prevent violence against women and children, in 2013 and was appointed Life Patron in August 2022. Ms Stott Despoja served as Australia’s Global Ambassador for Women and Girls from 2013 to 2016 and was a member of the World Bank Gender Advisory Council between 2015 and 2017. She currently serves in the United Nations as a member of the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), and previously on the UN High-Level Group on the Health and Human Rights of Women, Children and Adolescents. A former leader of the Australian Democrats and Senator for South Australia, she is also the author of On Violence.
Minister Alice Rolls MP is the Member for Unley and South Australia's Minister for Child Protection and Minister for Domestic, Family and Sexual Violence. A dedicated lawyer, mum, and volunteer, Alice has built her career around improving outcomes for vulnerable South Australians. Before entering parliament, Alice spent nearly two decades as a commercial litigator before leading the Civil Law Division at the Legal Services Commission of South Australia. Alice has served on arts and justice boards, including with the State Theatre Company and the Accessible Justice Project and has volunteered regularly at the Adelaide Day Centre for Homeless Persons. Alice is proud to serve the people of Unley and to lead the work across government to strengthen child protection and the prevention of domestic, family and sexual violence throughout South Australia.
Mary Leaker became General Manager of Embolden in July 2023 and stepped into the role of Chief Executive Officer in July 2025; she is also a Board member of WESNET, the national peak body for specialist women’s domestic and family violence services. With a background in social work and social policy, she has extensive experience across non-government service delivery, government policy and projects, and a strong commitment to gender equality and women’s safety, including published research on gendered violence. She led a whole-of-government violence prevention initiative in South Australia (2018–21) and undertook a Churchill Fellowship in 2022–23 examining the impact of coercive control laws in the UK.
Judge Anthony Allen was admitted to practice in 1999 after completing a Bachelor of Laws at Flinders University. After working at the Legal Services Commission, Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions and in private practice, he joined the Independent Bar in 2012, practising in criminal law, professional disciplinary law, and coronial inquests, with extensive experience in both trial and appellate work in the Supreme Court. He took Silk in 2020 and was appointed to the District Court of South Australia in 2022.
Melissa Collis is a multifaceted professional with a diverse range of expertise. She is a Family Law Solicitor at the Legal Services Commission, where she provides legal advice and representation. Melissa has also worked as a Solicitor at Pascale Legal and has held positions at Pederick Lawyers and Polly Dixon. Her educational background includes a SACE certificate degree from Thomas More College and a Bachelor of Health Science from the University of Adelaide. Melissa's professional journey reflects her commitment to legal practice and her ability to navigate complex family law matters with professionalism and calmness.
Dr Jenny Richards is a Senior Lecturer at Flinders Law School, Flinders University. She teaches and researches primarily in criminal law reform, social work law, family law, and religious domestic and family violence. Her doctoral research considered ways to bring faith responses and legal responses together when addressing domestic and family violence against Christian women. Jenny has also worked on several projects investigating the intersection of legal and faith responses to domestic and family violence against Muslim women and CALD communities, and is an academic member of two working groups for faith-based domestic and family violence responses. In 2024 she was part of the Independent Review of the paid family and domestic violence leave provisions in the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth).
Stephanie Vejar is a Senior Migration Lawyer at MSM Legal, specialising in migration matters involving family violence and vulnerable visa holders. She is recognised for her expertise in complex visa, protection, and cancellation matters, and is an active contributor to policy and advocacy in this area. Stephanie is a three-time Lawyers Weekly 30 Under 30 finalist in Migration Law and a two-time finalist for the John Gibson Young Australian Migration Lawyer of the Year.
Registration fees:
Member (admitted more than three years): $250.00
Junior (admitted less than three years: $210.00
Platinum: $135.00
Student: $120.00
Non-Member: $350.00
Other: Login to see your registration fee
Please note: Recording of the webinar is not guaranteed, as it depends on the presenters’ copyright permissions. In some cases, recordings may be made available exclusively to registered attendees. To ensure you don’t miss out, we recommend registering for the live session. If you're unable to attend live, please let us know in advance, and we’ll do our best to provide the recording (if available).