Legal Notices

General

The Legal Notices, as amended by us from time to time:

• provide information about Ford Criminal Lawyers and each of the legal entities involving Ford Criminal Lawyers;
• set out the basis on which you may use this website in union with the Terms of Use;
• provide important information about the way in which we provide our services,

Corporate Responsibility

At Ford Criminal Lawyers, we believe in the collective responsibility of government, business and the public to create a sustainable future together. We focus our investment of skills and resources where we believe they will have the greatest, lasting benefit for our communities and the environment.

We approach corporate responsibility under guide of the following perspectives; Community, Accessibility, Environment and People. By considering the wider impacts of our decisions in these perspectives, we are able to implement a strategy that entrenches corporate responsibility into all our internal management processes. Further Ford Criminal Lawyers participates and cooperates externally with our associates, clients and community.

Statement of Ethics

The true profession of law is based on an ideal of honourable service. Riley, NSW Solicitors Manual.

We acknowledge the role of our profession in serving our community in the administration of justice. We recognise that the law should protect the rights and freedoms of members of society. We understand that we are responsible to our community to observe high standards of conduct and behaviour when we perform our duties to the courts, our clients and our fellow practitioners.

Our conduct and behaviour should reflect the character we aspire to have as a profession.

This means that as individuals engaged in the profession and as a profession:

• We primarily serve the interests of justice.
• We act competently and diligently in the service of our clients.
• We advance our clients' interests above our own.
• We act confidentially and in the protection of all client information.
• We act together for the mutual benefit of our profession.
• We avoid any conflict of interest and duties.
• We observe strictly our duty to the Court of which we are officers to ensure the proper and efficient administration of justice.
• We seek to maintain the highest standards of integrity, honesty and fairness in all our dealings.
• We charge fairly for our work.

Proclaimed by the Council of the Law Society of New South Wales 28 May 2009.

Statement and Policy Prohibiting Illegal Discrimination and Harassment

Our company is committed to the principals of Equal Employment Opportunity and is committed to making employment decisions based on merit and value. We are committed to complying with all Federal, State, and local laws providing Equal Employment Opportunities, as well as all laws related to terms and conditions of employment. We desire to keep a work environment which is free of harassment or discrimination because of sex, race, religion, color, national origin, sexual orientation, physical or mental disability, marital status, age or any other status protected by Federal, State or local laws. We value diversity and are willing to employ men and women of all ethnic and racial groups, ranging in age from the teens to the sixties and older, and representing a broad spectrum of religions and national origins. The company will make every reasonable effort to accommodate those physical or mental limitations of an otherwise qualified employee, unless undue hardship would result for the company.

Just as the company bears a responsibility towards this policy, each of us must clearly communicate our disinterest in, or offense taken to, any perceived verbal or physical discrimination or harassment. We are all responsible for upholding this Equal Employment Opportunity policy and commitment. Equal Employment Opportunity laws afford each one of us the chance to succeed or fail based on individual merit.

Prohibited sexual harassment is defined as follows: “Unwelcome sexual advances, requests for sexual favours, and other verbal or physical conduct of a sexual nature constitutes sexual harassment when:

• Submission to such conduct is made either explicitly or implicitly a term or condition of an individual’s employment
• Submission to or rejection of such conduct by an individual is used as the basis for employment decisions affecting such individual or
• Such conduct has the purpose or effect of unreasonably interfering with an individual’s work performance or creating an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment.

Our company will not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment! Any employee who feels that he or she has witnessed, or been subject to, any form of discrimination or harassment should immediately notify their supervisor, personnel administrator or other manager at the company. We will promptly investigate any claim and take appropriate action. We will seek to impose appropriate sanctions against any person found to be in violation of this policy. Such sanctions may include, but are not limited to, reprimand, suspension, demotion, transfer and discharge.

Our company prohibits retaliation against any employee who brings forth any complaint or assists in the investigation of any complaint.

If you feel we have not resolved your complaint, and after you have followed the company grievance procedure, you can complain to the Law Society of New South Wales.

Regulation of Australian Legal Profession and Statute

Australian legal practitioners are regulated by the local legal profession legislation in the state or territory in which they predominantly practise. Since 2004, nearly all States and Territories have enacted their legal profession legislation on the basis of a national Model Bill. However, variations between the jurisdictions mean that there is not a single national framework for legal profession regulation in Australia.

Ford Criminal Lawyers is primarily focused in New South Wales Australia and hence the Legal Profession Act and Legal Professions Regulations apply. While this legislation is different in each of the jurisdictions, a legal practitioner with a current practising certificate from one Australian jurisdiction is entitled to practise Australian law in every Australian state or territory. A lawyer registered to practise foreign law in one Australian jurisdiction is also entitled to practise foreign law in every Australian state or territory.

Insurance

Ford Criminal Lawyers maintains professional indemnity insurance as required by each compulsory scheme operating in the jurisdictions in which the firm practises. In addition to the compulsory insurance cover, the firm maintains a significant program of top up professional indemnity insurance which is structured in various layers. This has been obtained through the Australian and London insurance markets, details of which are confidential.

Together, the compulsory cover and the top-up layers of the firm's professional insurance provide cover which Ford Criminal Lawyers regards as appropriate for a firm such as ours. The firm's professional indemnity insurance program is confidential. Nevertheless Ford Criminal Lawyers understands that its clients must be reasonably satisfied as to the appropriateness of the level of cover affected by the firm. While the firm has strict protocols determined by its Board about disclosures of its professional indemnity coverage, Ford Criminal Lawyers will deal in good faith with you on this issue. If you require more information please contact us here.