Copyright (c) 2010 All rights reserved. http://works.bepress.com/tammy_johnson Recent documents in Tammy Johnson en-us Wed, 17 Nov 2010 22:15:34 PST 3600 http://works.bepress.com/tammy_johnson/5 http://works.bepress.com/tammy_johnson/5 Thu, 23 Sep 2010 15:55:48 PDT Surrogacy has existed since Biblical times when Hagar, the maidservant of the infertile Sarah, acted as a surrogate to bear Sarah and her husband, Abraham, a son. Despite the longevity of the practice of surrogacy, modern society has been reluctant to embrace surrogacy arrangements due to the ethical and sometimes practical debates they spark. This reluctance is evidenced by the general lack of legislative support for surrogacy arrangements in Australia and worldwide. In 2009 it was announced that Queensland will decriminalise altruistic surrogacy. While this decision is a step towards bringing Queensland in line with other Australian jurisdictions, it also has the potential to open up a Pandora's Box of legal and ethical issues. This article provides a snapshot of the anticipated new Queensland surrogacy legislation together with a brief overview of the regulation of surrogacy in all Australian jurisdictions. Recommendations are made as to whether there is a need for further reform of surrogacy regulation in certain Australian jurisdictions and if so, whether the proposed Queensland legislation constitutes an appropriate model on which to base such reform. Tammy Johnson http://works.bepress.com/tammy_johnson/4 http://works.bepress.com/tammy_johnson/4 Tue, 27 Jul 2010 18:42:30 PDT Extract: The introduction of the Integrated Planning Act 1997 (Qld) ('IPA') saw planning law in Queensland implement extensive reform measures. The catch-cry for IPA was 'integration'. IPA looked to provide a completely integrated development assessment system ('IDAS'). This system sought to combat the inefficiencies experienced under the previous Local Government (Planning and Environment) Act 1990 (Qld). * Town Planning legislation in Queensland had its roots in the 1930s and until IPA the fundamental nature of the legislation had remained virtually unchanged. In its second reading speech to Parliament on 30 October 1997 * Hon. D.E. McCauley touted IPA as 'state-of-the-art planning legislation'* born from an increasing demand by the community to '...deliver more liveable communities and a better quality of life.'* The time had arrived for change. This paper proposes to analyse critically IPA's strengths and weaknesses in securing the following purposes- Accountable, efficient and co-ordinated decision-making processes; Lessening or avoiding adverse environmental effects of development; and Community involvement opportunities with the decision-making process. * See the footnote in the Introduction. Tammy Johnson http://works.bepress.com/tammy_johnson/2 http://works.bepress.com/tammy_johnson/2 Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:04:51 PST In the mid to late 1990s the Gold Coast real property market was the subject of intense marketeering operations. Investigation revealed that the legislation regulating the real estate industry at that time was unable to combat such unethical and unscrupulous behaviour. The Queensland Government realised that action must be taken to provide for protection of consumers in the real property market. After some hasty drafting, the Property Agents and Motor Dealers Act 2000 (Qld) became effective on 1 July 2001. The aim of the Act was simple - to provide for consumer protection. After numerous and frequent amendments, the Act now prescribes a complex and technical contracting procedure. This article suggests that, by over-complicating the contracting procedure, the legislators have lost sight of their original goal of consumer protection. Tammy Johnson