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The federal government has recently introduced the Trade Practices Amendment (Australian Consumer Law) Bill 2009 (Cth) (the Bill) into Parliament. It proposes major consumer law reforms, including the introduction of a general regime relating to unfair contracts. The incidence of unfair terms in contracts is seen to be high.' In this paper, the reforms relating to unfair contracts are critically considered, as well as the background to the introduction of such provisions and their rationale. The importance of the proposed changes in light of existing principles in this area will also be noted. The paper will note, but not discuss in detail, the changes made to remedies in the context of breach of consumer protection laws that the amending Bill proposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on the proposal about consumer guarantees in Australia. The proposal aims to improve consumer well-being through consumer empowerment and protection which encourages effective competition between consumers and suppliers in the market. Member of Parliament Dr. Craig Emerson released an Issues Paper on behalf of the Commonwealth Consumer Affairs Advisory Council (CCAAC), which is in in-charge on the review of the consumer law. The paper examined the adequacy of the existing laws on implied terms and the need for amendments if any. The adoption of Consumer Guarantees Act (CGA) of New Zealand (NZ) will provide greater certainty and clarity of the proposal.

This article considers how law schools can facilitate the development of technology skills by using technology to enhance access to mooting in settings that replicate legal practice. The authors conducted research into the use of technology by Australian law schools for mooting and evaluated an internal mooting competition using Elluminate, an online communication platform available to students through Blackboard. The analysis of the results of the survey and the Elluminate competition will demonstrate that technology can be used in mooting to provide an authentic learning experience. The paper concludes that while it is essential to teach technology skills as part of legal education, it is important that the benefits of using technology are made clear in order for it to be accepted and embraced by the students. Technology must also be available to all students considering the widening participation in higher education and consequent increasing diversity of law students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In last year's WA Lee Lecture, Justice Michael Kirby, in his paper Equity's Australian Isolationism, criticised equity jurisprudence in Australia for its failure to follow the Canadian example in unifying the doctrines of equity and the rules of the common law particularly in relation to aspects of the fiduciary obligation and the availability of punitive damages. It is submitted that an appreciation of the fundamental values referred to as the conscience of equity affords good reason to resist the unifying tendencies apparent in the Canadian jurisprudence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stored Value Facilities are becoming increasingly available for Australian consumers. But what are the consumer protections offered to users of these facilities. This article examines and outlines what is a stored value facility, considers their advantages and disadvantages and the current role of the Electronic Funds Transfer Code of Conduct. The paper will conclude with a summary of the consumer protection norms that should guide future development of this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]