From the outset, our firm has been built on deeply held principles and values. One of the core values we’re committed to upholding is human rights.
We believe that laws are created for the service of society. They need to protect individuals, acknowledging that all humans have rights which deserve to be upheld.
This means our laws need to be fair.
At the same time, we acknowledge that the law doesn’t stand still. Australia’s laws are constantly evolving, often under considerable pressure from private and political interests.
The lawyers in the Stacks network have worked for decades to ensure that social justice and human rights are not sidelined as new laws are made and old laws are updated.
We have chaired and served on numerous committees of the Law Society of New South Wales, including the Injury Compensation Committee, writing and compiling copious submissions to government about personal injury law.
Our lawyers have served on the District Court Rules Committee, the Supreme Court Delay Reduction Committee and the Common Law Rights Committee of the Law Council of Australia.
We have also been instrumental in the work of the Australian Lawyers Alliance, which has ben a fearless voice to governments about the rights of people who have suffered personal injury.
In the landmark personal injury case Rogers v Whitaker, we fought successfully in the High Court to establish the principle that a doctor has a duty to warn a patient of the possible adverse outcomes of surgery.
From representing the victims of nuclear testing in Maralinga, to leading a class action on behalf of hundreds of people who lost their homes in the Canberra bushfires of 2003, to helping refugees gain asylum in Australia – we’ve been there all the way.
We’re proud of the contribution we have made to date and we’re committed to continuing to advocate for social justice and human rights as a fundamental part of what we do.