A must-attend for practitioners seeking to strengthen submissions. Gain an authoritative understanding of Ministerial Interventions with Dr Jason Donnelly - one of Australia’s foremost expert on immigration and public law – and together examine the legal, strategic and doctrinal dimensions of Ministerial intervention under the Migration Act 1958 (Cth).
Friday, 12 September 2025
Description
Attend and earn 1.5 CPD points in Substantive Law for Legal Professionals
Attend and earn 1 CPD point in Category B Seminar (SM) for Migration Agents
This program is applicable to practitioners from all States & Territories
MARA APPROVAL NUMBERS
SESSION 4: SM818
Chair:
Kathryn Viegas, Director and Principal Solicitor, Nomos Pty Ltd; Accredited Specialist in Immigration Law; Best Lawyers 2024, Immigration Law; Leading Immigration Lawyer, Doyle’s Guide 2024
1.00pm to 2.30pm Appeals to the Minister: What Makes a Good Case and How to Win
- Explore the evolving boundaries of Ministerial discretion
- Understand the impact of Direction 110
- Navigate the tension between domestic executive power and Australia’s international legal obligations
Presented by Associate Professor Dr Jason Donnelly, Barrister, Latham Chambers and Associate Professor
Presenters
Kathryn Viegas, Director and Principal Solicitor, Nomos Pty Ltd
Kathryn Viegas is a Director and Principal Solicitor of Nomos Legal, a boutique immigration law firm in Sydney. Kathryn holds degrees in Psychology and Law from the University of New South Wales and a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice from the Australian National University. In 2006, she was awarded a Master of Laws degree from the University of Sydney. She has practised immigration law since 2003 and is an Accredited Specialist in Immigration Law. Since 2018, she has been included annually on the ‘Best Lawyers’ list for Australia as published in the Australian Financial Review. Kathryn commenced her career at the HIV/AIDS Legal Centre and established her own practice in 2005, which she ran for eight years. In 2016, she co-founded Nomos. Since 2007, she has presented continuing education programmes for lawyers and other professionals through the College of Law, the Law Society of NSW and other professional associations. She currently teaches the Graduate Diploma in Migration Law program at Victoria University. Kathryn is the current President of the Management Committee of the Immigration Advice and Rights Centre, a specialist community legal centre that provides free legal advice and assistance to vulnerable migrants and refugees. She is also the co-founder of The TLR Foundation and a Director of the Centre for Women’s Economic Safety. She sits on the Specialist Accreditation Immigration Law Advisory Committee in NSW and is a member of the UNSW Law & Justice Advisory Council.
Associate Professor Dr Jason Donnelly, Barrister, Latham Chambers and Associate Professor
Associate Professor Dr. Jason Donnelly is a leading academic and barrister with a strong focus on immigration and public law in Australia. He holds a Bachelor of Arts, a Bachelor of Laws with Honours (First Class & University Medal), a Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, and a Doctor of Philosophy (PhD). Dr. Donnelly completed his studies at the University of New South Wales, Macquarie University, and the University of Western Sydney. He began his academic career as a law lecturer at the age of 23 and was called to the bar at 25. Before joining the bar, Dr. Donnelly had the privilege of working for Justice Michael Kirby AC CMG (former Justice of the High Court of Australia) and Justice Peter McClellan AM KC (former Chief Judge at Common Law, Supreme Court of NSW). As a barrister, Dr. Donnelly has been involved in over 287 published cases across Australia, with significant experience in the High Court, the Federal Court, and the Administrative Appeals Tribunal. His practice has seen success in 76 Tribunal trials and 66 judicial review applications. He has also acted in 26 matters before the High Court. In addition to his legal practice, Dr. Donnelly has contributed to numerous legal journals and co-authored several legal publications. He has participated in various Commonwealth statutory inquiries and presented papers at conferences across Australia. Dr. Donnelly has had the opportunity to represent a diverse range of clients, including internationally recognised musicians (i.e. Skepta, Chris Brown, Trey Songz, J Hus, Layzie Bone and Jason Bradley DeFord (Jelly Roll)), politicians, law enforcement officers, sports professionals (i.e. Allen Iverson and Alexander Devyatov), and others from various fields. Currently, Dr. Donnelly serves as an Associate Professor (Level D) in the School of Law at Western Sydney University and practices at Latham Chambers with a national focus.
This seminar is part of a series
The Immigration Hour: Latest Updates, Timely Insights and Practical Strategies
More than 140 businesses have already been sanctioned by the Australian Border Force this year for breaches of sponsorship obligations. Penalties include fines of up to $79,200, visa cancellations, and bans on future sponsorships. Sponsoring a worker is not a “set and forget” responsibility - it requires ongoing compliance. Ensuring all obligations are met and required notifications to the Department are made is critical to avoiding serious legal and financial consequences. At the same time, the intersection between criminal and immigration law has become increasingly complex. More clients are facing migration consequences from old or minor matters resurfacing during police checks. Adding to the pressure, ongoing processing delays are causing significant anxiety, making it more important than ever for practitioners to have effective, up-to-date strategies in place. To support you in navigating these challenges, we’ve launched a 5-part series:
Casual Fridays for Busy Immigration Practitioners – Latest Updates, Timely Insights, Practical Strategies & Real Conversations.
This series delivers timely, practical content tailored to the realities of immigration practice, including Ministerial interventions, presented by Dr Jason Donnelly, one of Australia’s leading experts in immigration and public law, and the ethical use of AI in migration cases, with experienced barrister Sergio Zanotti Stagliorio. Equip yourself with the insights and strategies needed to navigate the most pressing challenges in today’s immigration landscape
Description
Attend all sessions to receive a significant discount. Migration agents can earn all their Category B CPD points, including ethics, while legal practitioners will receive 7.5 CPD points, including 1 point in ethics. Gain practical insights from Australia’s leading immigration experts to maintain a compliant and confident practice amid ongoing change.
This program is applicable to practitioners from all States & Territories
If you register for the full series as a live online product after the date of an individual session, you will be sent the recording for the sessions that have passed. Alternatively, you can register for individual sessions by following the links below.
View series listing
