Documents

• Members may only opt-out of the Scheme after their 55^th birthday.
• TPD cover ceases on your 65^th birthday.
• Death and terminal illness cover continues until your 70^th birthday.
• Cover commences as from 1^st July following acceptance.

A copy of the Policy can be found here.

The Bar Association has a Professional Standards Scheme (which commenced on 1 July 2012 and was renewed on 1 July 2017 and 1 July 2022).  All ordinary and bar reader members are automatically subscribed to and obliged to comply with the terms and conditions of the Scheme.

A copy of the Scheme instrument can be found here.

Members benefit by having their occupational liability capped to an amount of $1.5 million (to the extent that liability can be capped under the Professional Standards Act 2004 (SA)).

Disclosure Obligations

Participants in the Scheme MUST disclose their limited liability status on all written correspondence and on their website using the wording “Liability limited by a scheme approved under professional standards legislation”.  Information about the Professional Standards Scheme disclosure obligations is available here.

Barristers must comply with the CPD scheme mandated by LPEAC (see the Law Society of South Australia for further information), as well as the SABA Membership Rules.

The main points to note are:

• Practitioners must undertake 10 units of CPD per year, including 1 unit in each of the following areas:
  • ethics;
  • professional skills;
  • practice management; and
  • bullying, discrimination and harassment.
• Members must complete 5 units of SA Bar-Sponsored CPD activity (included in the 10 unit total).  Bar-Sponsored CPD activity includes attendance at SA Bar CPDs (free) and the Annual Conference.  See below for the full definition of Bar-Sponsored CPD activity.
• Points accrued between January and March each year can be used in that CPD year or carried forward to the next CPD year, including for Bar-Sponsored CPD activity (the latter to a maximum of 5 units).
• The CPD Year commences on 1 April of each year.
• Barristers are required to keep evidence of their points for audit purposes (although the Association will assist with attendance sheets at Bar organised events).

The Definition of Bar-Sponsored CPD activity is as follows:

1. Attendance at CPD sessions or seminars conducted by SABA (including the annual conference) (1 unit per hour of activity or pro rata thereto);
2. Presentation of a CPD session conducted by SABA and preparation for the same (1 unit per hour of activity or pro rata thereof, with the unit value of preparation not exceeding the unit value of the presentation);
3. Attendance at an advocacy course approved by the Australian Bar Association (ABA) or the Advocacy Training Council (ATC) (which is deemed to constitute 5 hours of CPD activity);
4. Presenting or coaching at an advocacy course approved by the ABA or the ATC (1 unit per hour of activity or pro rata thereto);
5. Attending or presenting at the ABA National Conference (1 unit per hour of activity or pro rata thereof);
6. Undertaking the SABA Bar Reader’s Course (which is deemed to constitute 5 hours of CPD activity);
7. Presenting or coaching at the SABA Bar Reader’s Course, including at the Essential Trial Advocacy Course (1 unit per hour of activity or pro rata thereof); and
8. Such other Bar-sponsored CPD activity declared by the Council to qualify as such.