Ms Cheong’s election follows the retirement of long serving President Mr Matthew Storey. Ms Cheong has served as Vice President of the Society since 2009. Ms Cheong’s nomination as President was unopposed.

Retiring President Matthew Storey warmly congratulated Ms Cheong on her election. He also stated: “The Territory’s extraordinarily high incarceration rate is the single biggest challenge facing our justice system. The main cause of the crime that leads to this incarceration is alcohol abuse. The current government is to be congratulated on the measures they have taken to curb alcohol abuse, but this sort of cultural change doesn’t happen overnight. In the meantime there must be an improvement in the standards of our prisons and their ability to deliver effective rehabilitative programs.” Mr Storey concluded: “It is time that certain of my colleagues stopped grandstanding and recognised this – everyone else has.”

Incoming President Peggy Cheong agreed that high rates of imprisonment were a challenge to the Territory legal system. She also saw as priorities for the Law Society during her presidency, the ongoing issues with respect to national regulation of the legal profession through the National Legal Professional Reforms, and the implementation of the Australian Solicitor Conduct Rules. The ever changing landscape of the States and Territories responses to such reforms and rules will continue to be a challenge to the local legal profession. In additional to professional issues, she is also keen to promote an ongoing and closer working relationship between the Society and its members and to ensure that apart from the regulatory functions of the Society, the Society works closely with all of its members in relation to all significant issues touching about the legal profession in the Northern Territory.