As Georgia Green writes, only 16 of 200 members showed up to the meeting to reform the influential club’s executive.
The University of Newcastle Law Students’ Association (UNLSA) this month conducted a Special General Meeting (SGM) to change the Equity and Indigenous representative positions in the club’s constitution. These amendments will lessen the number of executive seats from ten to eight, dissolving the positions of Vice President of Equity and
Vice President of Indigenous Students into directorial roles, working within the new Education portfolio. Executive members say it’s a necessary change, as the new Education portfolio will now encompass social justice, equity, Indigenous representation and student engagement.
All members of the association were invited to attend the SGM on August 7th to vote on the amendments. After reaching a unanimous decision, the changes will come into effect by the end of 2024, after the UNLSA annual election. But despite having over 200 members in the association, only 16 members attended the SGM and voted. 15/16 of those in attendance were committee members. The quorum required for the SGM was 15 members, but students reportedly showed high interest in the lead-up. These statistics beg the question: Are the executive and student body separated?
The proposed amendments were tabled by Jack Griffiths, Vice President of Administration, and unanimously supported by the Executive. President Lachlan James said the constitutional change was driven by the need for a concrete succession plan.
Jack Griffiths, Vice President of Administration
When initially proposed, the amendments were met with varying opinions from students. Some interpreted the restructuring as a necessary step to prevent future mismanagement and ensure transparency, while others were concerned about the reduction in executive positions and potential impacts on representation. But these concerns were not voiced in the SGM due to scarce attendance.
So, why didn’t members show up?
This pattern of throwing darts from the sidelines, but being seemingly unwilling to put in the work for effective change, did not start with the SGM.
To be eligible for a UNLSA membership, students must meet certain criteria, including being enrolled in a Bachelor of Laws (Honours), a Juris Doctor/Graduate Diploma in Legal Practice, a Masters program administered by the Law School, or a PhD administered by the Law School. The new constitution does not aim to alter this criterion. But if it were expanded, would member participation improve?
Criminology students are technically part of the Newcastle Law and Justice School, and some students believe they should be allowed in, especially considering that all law students are invited to join the Criminology and Criminal Justice Society (CCJS).
President of CCJS Katie Sarraf says she agrees the criteria should be expanded as many Criminology students plan to work in the criminal justice system. Vice President Griffiths has expressed his support for CCJS and has confirmed no formal request has been made from Criminology students to UNLSA. Griffiths believes non-law students are currently being well represented by their societies.
It’s no secret that the UNLSA has faced accusations of exclusivity (just check out UoN Hate Letters), but the real question is: do members actually want to put in the effort required to make their desired changes?
