Courts
‘Egregious delays’: Judge calls out six colleagues for tardy decisions
An outspoken Federal Court judge has taken some of his colleagues to task over the slow delivery of judgments, naming six of his fellow jurists for a "most regrettable state of affairs".
Securities
ASX agrees to $20.5M penalty on eve of trial in ASIC’s case
ASX Limited has reached a settlement with the corporate regulator just hours before a scheduled trial in a case over a market announcement that said its CHESS replacement project was “progressing well”.
ASIC
Judge questions Macquarie getting large chunk of $102M Keystone payout
A judge has questioned whether Macquarie Financial should get 70 per cent of an interim $102 million distribution to people who sank their retirement savings into Keystone’s Shield Master Fund, which is being investigated for misuse of investor funds.
Discrimination
Giggle for Girls asks High Court to undo discrimination win for trans woman
Social media app Giggle for Girls has asked the High Court to reverse a finding that it committed direct discrimination on the basis of gender identity by excluding a transgender woman from its platform.
M&A
Pitcher Partners says deal changes can’t justify avoiding $1.3M abort fee
Pitcher Partners has argued in its case against a former client over a $1.3 million abort fee that treating proposed deal changes as material departures would enable parties to avoid such fees by putting forward absurd terms.
ASIC
Union Standard cops record $300M penalty in ASIC case
Defunct forex broker Union Standard and its former agents have been hit with a combined $300.2 million penalty for “egregious” contraventions, including deliberately pushing risky derivative contracts onto inexperienced investors.
Competition & Consumer Protection
Suit over $36M Bunnings store a ‘significant’ competition case, court told
A Mitre 10 franchisee’s case alleging Bunnings engaged in anti-competitive conduct by launching a $36 million store in regional Queensland will have significance for other independent hardware retailers that have closed down, a court has heard.
Class Actions
Sportsbet CEO to face cross-examination in betting class action
A class action alleging Sportsbet provided unlawful gambling services plans to cross-examine its CEO over his claim the company would not have offered the bets if it knew they were illegal, with the court hearing he relied on legal advice.
High Court
High Court won’t undo solicitor’s win in negligence case
The High Court won't hear a challenge to a dismissed negligence suit against a Sydney solicitor, in an appeal dealing with whether lawyers need to examine the underlying contracts in a dispute before determining whether a claim or defence has merit.
Construction
LU Simon sued for $8.7M for delays in completing Box Hill residential development
A developer has taken builder LU Simon to court, seeking an order that it pay $8.7 million in liquidated damages for failing to complete a $74 million residential development in Box Hill on time.
