Ulverstone Lawyer Anthony Mihal was elected president of the Law Society
of Tasmania at the meeting of the Society’s Council on Saturday.
Mr Mihal is the director of North West Coast legal practice Walsh Day James
Mihal. He was admitted to the roll of practitioners in 2004 and maintains a
diverse litigious practice which includes civil litigation in the Magistrates,
Supreme Court and various tribunals, criminal law and child protection law.
He is the immediate past chairman of the North West Community Legal
Centre, vice president of local Ulverstone charity the Roland View Estate
Trust and a past board member of Guide Dogs Tasmania.
Mr Mihal is a former pupil of New Town High School, together with three
current judges of the Supreme Court and the Solicitor General.
A priority of Mr Mihal’s presidency will be promotion of access to justice.
“Legal Aid funding in this State is in crisis, as it is elsewhere around the
country and vulnerable Tasmanians are being denied proper legal
representation which is grossly unfair to those individuals, a threat to
confidence in the legal system and ultimately the rule of law. The Law
Society will continue to advocate for more funding for Legal Aid and for a
review of the entire Legal Aid system to ensure that public funds are being
used to the maximum efficiency.”
The Law Society has in the past publically advocated against attacks on
judicial discretion especially mandatory sentencing provisions. Mr Mihal
intends to continue that and speak publically on other rule of law issues.
Mr Mihal also will make advocacy on behalf of the profession a priority.
“The public should be made aware that it may not be in their interests to make
a will with a Trustee Company or use a licensed conveyancer instead of a
solicitor. Government and corporations should be reminded that the local
legal profession is highly skilled and there is no need to look to large
mainland firms for legal services.”
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