A judge hearing a $2 million dispute between a former tenured professor and the University of New South Wales has lamented the lengthy pleadings filed in Fair Work cases, saying “everything but the kitchen sink seems to be thrown in, without any discrimination”.
Victoria’s environment watchdog has been taken to court over its decision to renew the licences of the state’s three remaining coal power stations, a test case under the state’s Climate Change Act and the latest in a series of climate lawsuits.
An Australian generic drug manufacturer has struck back at patent lawsuit by Swiss pharmaceutical company Biogen, alleging a patent for MS drug Tecfidera is invalid and a that a patent term extension for the drug was wrongly granted.
A judge has rejected an application by the plaintiffs in two class actions against Freedom Foods and Deloitte to run their cases side-by-side, but said she would have granted a bid to consolidate the proceedings had that been sought.
A former barrister has continued to practice in local courts without a valid practising certificate, in “very serious” criminal contempt of a court-ordered injunction, the NSW Bar Association has told a court.
A judge has refused a bid by accounting firms Pitcher Partners and EY to access share trading data of unregistered group members in a securities class action over advice to Slater & Gordon, despite claims upcoming mediation will be “pointless” without the information.
A Forum Finance director is unable to file a defence against Westpac’s $400 million fraud case because his former solicitor has refused to hand over case files to his new lawyers until he pays a “remarkable” $300,000 legal bill, a court has heard.
A Melbourne law firm has lost its bid for indemnity costs after it failed to convince a judge that its settlement offer to a former client was anything more than a demand to capitulate in a “hard fought” legal battle over a $24.5 million East Melbourne development.
The NSW Court of Appeal has refused to grant Bianca Rinehart leave to appeal a decision staying a lawsuit against her mother Gina Rinehart over ownership of a $4 billion family trust.
The migration to the digital courtroom is taking its toll on the nation’s barristers, who face increased challenges and levels of fatigue from the mental load of conducting hearings remotely.