Qantas argues it has “no legal responsibility” to compensate baggage handlers who, the High Court has found, the airline unlawfully sacked and replaced with contractors, partly to prevent them from engaging in industrial action.
A judge has given the green light to amendments to a $100 million class action against NAB over the collapse of Walton Construction, which include new claims of equitable fraud and knowing involvement in misleading and deceptive conduct.
The University of Sydney has succeeded in a challenge to a finding that an academic was unfairly dismissed after posting to social media a controversial slide of a Nazi swastika superimposed on the Israeli flag, with a majority appeals court finding his union failed to prove the “incendiary” conduct accorded with the standards that entitled him to intellectual freedom.
Network Ten has largely succeeded in its bid for indemnity costs against Bruce Lehrmann for his failed defamation case over allegations he raped former colleague Brittany Higgins in Parliament House, allegations the broadcaster proved at trial were true.
Bruce Lehrmann had no behind-the-scenes financial backer for his failed and costly defamation case against Network Ten but had entered a no win, no fee arrangement with his solicitors, a court has heard.
The Full Federal Court has found the court’s recently-affirmed power to make common fund orders at settlement means the litigation funder that backed two class actions against 7-Eleven is entitled to a $24.5 million cut from a $98 million settlement, in a decision that slammed the parties for a settlement approval process that “went off the rails”, costing group members $2.5 million.
The judge overseeing Bruce Lehrmann’s failed defamation case against Network Ten has slammed as misleading comments that his judgment vindicated the broadcaster, and questioned whether the remarks disentitled it to maximum defence costs.
Bruce Lehrmann has been given extra time to file any appeal of a ruling he raped colleague Brittany Higgins but in the meantime the former political staffer must hand over information on who funded his defamation case against Network Ten, which is likely to see him on the hook for millions of dollars in costs.
Two law firms behind underpayments class actions against Kentucky Fried Chicken have dodged a contest to run the litigation, agreeing to join their cases alleging the fast food giant denied tens of thousands of workers rest breaks.
Bruce Lehrmann has agreed to pay author Peter FitzSimons’ costs of complying with a subpoena in the former Liberal staffer’s failed defamation case against Network Ten and FitzSimons’ wife Lisa Wilkinson.