Preferred supplier newsletter – May 2025
Stay up to date with the latest news and information for law firms that provide legal aid services.
In this issue:
Meet the team at McGowran & Cagney Lawyers
Grant Cagney from McGowran & Cagney Lawyers
We recently interviewed the team at McGowran & Cagney Lawyers in Rockhampton, who have been delivering legal aid services in their community since 2006.
The firm was started by Principal Solicitor Brian McGowran, who had previously worked at Legal Aid Queensland (LAQ) and at the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Legal Service.
Grant Cagney (pictured) told us he joined the firm in 2009 and became Principal Solicitor in 2024.
“Effectively, the firm was born with a principal solicitor who already had strong roots in social justice,” Grant said. ‘It was only natural that Brian would join as a preferred supplier and continue to provide legal services to those who couldn't afford private lawyer fees.’
What drew Grant to becoming a legal practitioner?
“I had aspirations of being a fighter pilot, ideally. There were two issues with that: one - Australia doesn't have many fighter jets, so statistically chances were poor; and two - I can’t see very well, so there was no way they were putting me in charge of flying a multimillion-dollar jet. So, instead I took Legal Studies as a student in year 11.
“I instantly loved it, and my goal post-school was set. Crime was always the focus - the art of dissecting a brief, building a case theory, arguing the admissibility of evidence and being on my feet for robust arguments was the only option for me - I didn't want a desk job!
“Being on the crime list at LAQ allows our firm to have a sense of pride within the local community. It enables our firm, through our solicitors, to offer competent, experienced legal representation not limited by one’s finances. We treat all clients on an even playing field, whether legally-aided or not. We've assisted clients from 12 through to 80, on any and all types of matters. Lawyers are often the butt of many jokes - but I consider lawyers who undertake legal aid work to be immune from such jokes! I see legal aid work as a form of community service, a way to give back through my skills to the community not otherwise able to access them.”
When asked how the firm benefits from supporting clients with legal aid matters, Grant said: “I think legal aid work provides exposure to persons and situations that private-only firms may not experience. It teaches you compassion, to see things through a different lens, and to be cognizant of the fact many peoples’ upbringings were far different to my own. You genuinely get to be a voice to the voiceless, and a staunch protector of their rights.”
To other firms thinking about doing legal aid work, Grant says “go for it”.
‘Personally, I think one of the biggest benefits of legal aid work is the breadth of work. It provides an invaluable tool to fast-track junior lawyers’ exposure to, and experience of, the court setting. One example of this is duty lawyer, where a lawyer may see more than 30 people on a single day. This fast paced, zero preparation environment fast tracks a lawyer’s abilities and confidence in a way no other work can.”
LAQ thanks Grant and the team at McGowran & Cagney Lawyers for their long-standing commitment to delivering legal aid services and helping us meet Queensland’s legal needs together.
Whether you are new to LAQ or an established preferred supplier, we would love to feature your firm in our newsletter or social media. To register your interest, please email partner.engagement@legalaid.qld.gov.au.
Cyber security reminders
LAQ would like to remind our partner law firms and practitioners about staying cyber safe and ways to safeguard our collective digital infrastructure.
Passwords for Grants Online accounts
It is critical to reset passwords for any shared accounts when team members leave or move to new roles. This ensures only current authorised team members have access to sensitive information and systems such as Grants Online. Implementing this procedure effectively reduces the risk of unauthorised access that could lead to data breaches or other security incidents for our legal aid clients. LAQ recommends incorporating password resets into your staff offboarding checklist and role-change procedures, as a standard security measure. Additionally, regularly updating passwords helps to keep shared accounts secure.
Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)
MFA is one of the most effective methods for increasing the security of your systems. Enabling MFA across all platforms adds an essential layer of protection against unauthorised access, making it significantly more challenging for malicious individuals or groups to compromise your organisation's data. If MFA has not been implemented yet, we urge you to prioritise its activation to increase your defence against cyber threats.
New resources to support Torres Strait Islanders applying for a cultural recognition order
Meriba Omasker Kaziw Kazipa artwork by Thursday Island artist Jessie Mordey
We’re delighted to launch a suite of new resources to support Torres Strait Islander peoples applying for a cultural recognition order.
What is a cultural recognition order?
Shared child rearing – often among extended family members – is a common and enduring Torres Strait Islander cultural practice. Under Ailan Kastom, parentage may be permanently transferred from the biological parents to the cultural parents by way of verbal agreement for a variety of reasons, including to maintain bloodlines, strengthen bonds between families and allow a couple experiencing infertility to raise a child.
The Meriba Omasker Kaziw Kazipa (Torres Strait Islander Traditional Child Rearing Practice) Act 2020 (Qld) allowed the Ailan Kastom child rearing practice to be legally recognised and established a process for applying for a cultural recognition order.
Clients are encouraged to get independent legal advice before applying, which is available through LAQ’s Cairns office.
What resources are available?
LAQ has worked with First Nations creative agency Iscariot Media, with input from the Office of the Commissioner - Meriba Omasker Kaziw Kazipa and the Torres Strait Islander community.
The following resources have been produced in English and also translated into Torres Strait Creole:
- poster
- postcard
- 3 factsheets
- 3 animated informer videos.
You can check out the new cultural recognition order web pages for more information or to download the new resources.
The distinctive Meriba Omasker Kaziw Kazipa artwork is by Jessie Mordey, an artist born and raised in Tamwoy Town, Waiben (Thursday Island). Jessie is a descendant of the Dauareb and Komet Clan, and a member of the Kemer Kemer Meriam Nation and the Wakaid Clan from Badhu (Badu) Island.
Adult restorative justice conferencing
The Department of Justice has shared some new adult restorative justice resources, which explain how a restorative justice conference can help your clients.
Restorative justice brings people together to address the harm caused by crime. It can bring hope and healing to those most affected.
Watch it in action
Watch the video on how home invasion victims Carmen and Roman recover and the person who broke into their home repairs the harm and turns his life around.
How does it work?
Restorative justice conferences are guided by a qualified convenor and provide a supportive environment for victims to tell their story. They can talk about how it impacted them, ask questions, and explain what needs to happen to make things right.
It’s also an opportunity for the person who caused the harm to hear directly about the impacts of their actions, take responsibility, and repair the harm they have caused.
This could include:
- an apology
- a payment to acknowledge suffering or cover costs
- agreeing to attend counselling or other programs
- providing assurance that the behaviour will not be repeated, or
- donating to charity.
The benefits
For the person harmed, restorative justice is an alternative to a court proceeding and enables the person harmed to be part of the resolution process. Participation is always voluntary, and the convenor helps everyone prepare for the conference.
Conferences can be held in many different formats. They can be a face-to-face meeting, or via phone or video. Victims can choose to send a representative, provide a statement, or communicate via a letter exchange facilitated by the convenor as an alternative.
How to access it
You can refer someone to restorative justice for any type of crime at any stage of the justice process, as long as there is an identifiable person harmed. The convenor will conduct a suitability assessment to determine whether the case is suitable for restorative justice conferencing and will cause no further harm to either party involved. Cases where there is significant harm caused and high accountability are suitable for referral due to the greater restorative value.
To learn more, visit adult restorative justice or subscribe to the Department of Justice’s monthly newsletter to receive a stakeholder toolkit and updates on the service.
For further information on referrals, please email ARJC.Enquiry@justice.qld.gov.au.
New LAQ domestic and family violence decisions database materials
This month we are featuring LAQ’s domestic and family violence decisions database to help you with your legal research.
The LAQ domestic and family violence decisions database contains an archive of domestic and family violence decisions from Queensland courts.
For guidance using the database, refer to our new tipsheet and video tutorial demonstrating how to get relevant results from your search. Both resources have been developed by our library team to make it easier for your firm to research case law.
The resources and database are also available through Grants Online. You will find them under the Information Resources tab.
Need assistance with this database? Contact the library at library@legalaid.qld.gov.au.
CPD and training opportunities
With the end of the CPD year approaching, LAQ wants to make it easier for partner law firms to meet their CPD requirements and to stay up to date with legislative changes.
We have a bumper round of training to share this issue! As part of raising awareness and taking action during Domestic and Family Violence Prevention Month, we have scheduled some additional sessions to assist family law practitioners.
Sessions to book in June
Balances and checks - a broad overview of policing from first response through to summary prosecutions
Date: Thursday 5 June
Time: 1-2pm
1 CPD point, suggested CPD category is SL
Eliminate the He Said-She Said - Improve communication and keep parents accountable in moderate and high conflict cases
Date: Thursday 5 June
Time: 10-11am
1 CPD Point, suggested CPD category is SL
A trauma responsive approach to domestic violence intervention
Date: Friday 6 June
Time: 9am-12pm
3 CPD points, suggested CPD category is PS
Contesting court assessment orders in child protection cases - strategies and evidence mitigation
Date: Monday 9 June
Time: 2-3pm
1 CPD point, suggested CPD category is SL, PLE or PS
Details for these sessions have been emailed to you so look out for the registration link in your inbox.
Recorded CPD sessions
If you cannot make a session, most CPD sessions are recorded so you can watch them in your own time. You can access recorded CPD sessions via Grants Online under 'Information Resources’ and then ‘Continuing Professional Development’. Please note, sessions may take up to 3 weeks to appear following the event.