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Environmental laws ‘ill-suited’ to dealing with threat of climate change, Full Court says
An appeals court has dismissed an environmental advocacy group’s challenge to the extension of two Mach Energy and Whitehaven Coal mega coal mines in NSW, saying the current environmental laws are “ill-suited” to dealing with the global threat of climate change. 
Net emissions from Mount Pleasant mega coal mine project not the point, appeals court told
Federal environment minister Tanya Plibersek wrongly focused on the net effect of approving an application by MACH Energy and Whitehaven Coal to extend two mega coal mines in New South Wales, an advocacy group has told an appeals court.
Aveo’s $11M class action settlement OK’d, but ‘avoidable costs’ yet to be doled out
A judge has given the green light to a $11 million settlement in a class action against retirement village provider Aveo, but reserved his decision about whether a contested amount of over $1 million should go to group members or the law firm that brought the case.
Court rejects human rights group’s bid to repatriate Aussies detained in Syria
A human rights group has lost its legal bid to compel the federal government to bring home Australians stuck in Syrian camps, with a a judge finding the Minister for Home Affairs has “no control” over their detention.
Climate change appeal attacks ‘drug dealers defence’ to coal mine extensions
An advocacy group has appealed a judgment that found it was "legally open" to federal environment minister Tanya Plibersek to approve the extension of two mega coal mines in New South Wales.
Judge urged to earmark share of $11M settlement for Aveo class action members
A judge asked to approve an $11 million settlement in a class action against retirement village provider Aveo is considering a proposal by court-appointed contradictors to set aside a percentage of the sum for group members, which would leave the law firm running the case $2 million out of pocket.
Legal challenge to Mount Pleasant coal mine extension fails
A decision by federal environment minister Tanya Pibersek to greenlight the extension of two mega coal mines in NSW was “legally open” to her, a judge has ruled, despite acknowledging the “existential threat” of climate change. 
‘Irrational’ coal mine approval flies in the face of climate science, court told
Federal environment minister Tanya Plibersek’s decision to greenlight the expansion of two mega coal mines in NSW was contrary to findings by the “entire community of climate scientists around the globe”, a court has heard. 
Judge warns against blanket confidentiality claims in settlement approval applications
The judge asked to approve a settlement in a class action against retirement village provider Aveo has sent a shot across the bow to law firms seeking to make broad confidentiality claims over the settlement, saying such claims should be kept “to a minimum” in class actions.
Repatriating Aussies detained in Syria ‘easy to do’, top judge told
A human rights group has told the Federal Court it will file for habeas corpus in a bid to compel the federal government to bring home Australians stuck in Syrian detention camps, with eight women, all Australian citizens, and 18 children being held in Camp Roj in the country’s northeast.