Australia's Society of Construction Law (SCL) was launched at a function in Melbourne last week by John Digby QC, chairman of the Victorian Bar Council.

The society aims to promote the education, study and research into construction law and related subjects in Australia and oversees for the benefit of the public and the construction industry.

"The inspiration for the Australian body is the exceptional contribution to the subject made by the Society of Construction Law founded in the UK in 1983. SCL now has over 2,000 members," said Rashda Rana (pictured here), a construction partner with law firm Holding Redlich and the society's secretary.

Membership of the Australian society is open to engineers, lawyers, architects, surveyors and others working in, or providing services to, the construction industry.

Similar societies are active in Europe, Hong Kong, Singapore and the UAE.