Judges

A plastering firm accusing the CFMEU and United Super of coercing more than $1 million in payments while it was working on several major Sydney developments has been ordered to replead vague aspects of its serious claims.

Two investment firms have been hit with combined penalties of nearly $100,000 for failing to pay infringement notices issued by the financial crimes regulator.

Contractor Civil & Civic Corporation has lost an appeal against construction firm Nova Builders over an alleged mistaken payment for work done on a lakeside townhouse development in Canberra.

A trial in related cases by developer Villawood over a logistics estate near Wallan, Victoria has been pushed back to next year.

A class action accusing Sony of breaching competition laws has said proposed changes to the case will focus on excessive charges in the distribution market, but the electronics giant argues the amended case leaves causation "entirely unarticulated".

Westpac has been hit with a $26 million penalty -- just shy of the $30 million sought by ASIC -- for failing to respond to online hardship applications on time on 277 occasions, in conduct described as “grossly negligent”. 

McDonald’s knew that employees across its stores were not being given continuous 10-minute rest breaks and that its time-keeping systems were deficient, a judge heard on the first day of trial in an underpayments class action that could include 370,000 workers.

A judge hearing a challenge to Woodside's North West Shelf extension will hear arguments from a UN special rapporteur on the relevance of international law, including an International Court of Justice opinion that held countries have an obligation to protect the climate from greenhouse gas emissions.

Facade Designs International has won a long-running payment dispute under an agreement to install the facade on a $1.25 billion Multiplex highrise in Melbourne's Collins St.

The owner of Pullman Adelaide Hotel has lost its bid for South Australia's planning commission to hand over documents related to its decision to greenlight a development adjacent to its luxury hotel in the CBD.