The Culturally Competent Professional - Keynote Address
Dr Margaret Byrne'S Keynote at COAT 2011 "Being Accessible Being Fair"
The Council Of Australasian Tribunals (COAT) NSW are holding their 8th Annual Conference, this year themed "Being Accessible, Being Fair". Dr Margaret Byrne of UGM will present a keynote address, "Cross Cultural Issues Today - the Cultural Competent Professional".
For all tribunals, culturally diverse clients represent a growing percentage of their case loads. Australia has had a long-standing commitment to annual intakes of both immigrants and refugees. As a result, the population now comprises a mix of more than 300 different ethnic groups, from well-established communities such as the Greek and Italian, to newer ones such as those from the Middle East and Africa. Tribunals are expected to deliver equitable and sensitive services in the midst of this increasing cultural complexity. This requires cultural intelligence as a core skill set for all those working for tribunals. Access and equity, fairness, trust and rapport are legitimate expectations on the part of all those who bring their complaint or dispute to a tribunal for resolution.
The purpose of this short presentation is to alert lawyers and the legal profession to the cultural factors which may affect the provision of their services to culturally diverse clients, build greater cultural insight and provide several foundation skills.
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