The federal Minister for the Environment owes a duty of care to children who could suffer “catastrophic” harms from increased greenhouse gas emissions that would result from approving the expansion of Whitehaven’s Vickery coal mine, a judge has ruled.
Former attorney-general Christian Porter has dodged a question about whether his defamation lawsuit against the ABC and reporter Louise Milligan is being funded by third parties, saying he went into the litigation knowing the case would be a “massive drain” on his finances.
Senior barrister Sue Chrysanthou has rejected claims that she has failed in her duties as a barrister by representing federal minister Christian Porter in his defamation proceedings against the ABC over coverage of rape allegations.
The woman bringing court action seeking to stop Christian Porter’s senior barrister from acting for the former attorney-general in his defamation case against the ABC has attacked suggestions that she strategically delayed bringing the conflict of interest challenge.
Senior barrister Sue Chrysanthou is reportedly facing court action to prevent her from continuing to act for Christian Porter in the former attorney-general’s defamation case against the ABC.
A judge has found the Commonwealth and Murray Darling Basin Authority are not “public authorities”, striking out large portions of their defence in a class action brought by farmers alleging negligent oversight of water management in the critical Australian river system.
The High Court has rejected special leave applications by mining magnate Gina Rinehart to appeal a ruling which only partially stayed a legal dispute over ownership rights and royalties relating to the Rinehart family-owned Hope Downs iron ore mine, with one judge calling the mining magnate’s arguments a “tortured articulation” and “very odd”.
Concerns behind criticism that courts aren’t equipped to assess a class action funder’s commission are exaggerated, and the fixing by judges of reasonable remuneration, at least in other cases, is nothing new, a Federal Court judge has said.
Lawyerly’s Litigation Firms of 2020 delivered significant victories for clients last year in bet-the-company matters, thriving in a tumultuous year that saw courts and litigants adapt to virtual trials and other new norms that are sure to outlast the COVID-19 pandemic.
A judge has signalled his intention to sign off on a $138 million settlement in a class action against IAG and approve a common fund order that gives the litigation funder a $34.5 million commission, but an application by the funder for reimbursement of after-the-event insurance has been refused.