Judges

A Federal Court judge has rejected a suppression order application in a lawsuit by an enterprise account manager against data centre developer NextDC, saying it was “an affront to principles of open justice”.

The site owner of a proposed shopping centre in Melton must return $1.5 million to a defunct developer that allegedly breached a $30 million land sale contract, an appeals court has found.

Real estate investment firm ISPT on Wednesday failed in its challenge to a $10.7 million stamp duty assessment, with a judge finding Victoria's revenue office was entitled to lump two acquisitions together.

A judge has rejected Forte Construction's bid to overhaul its defence to $6.3 million in claims by the liquidators of collapsed real estate fund manager iProsperity, saying the company had shown "contumelious disregard" for the court's earlier orders.

A judge has approved an $18.1 million settlement in an underpayments class action against Sydney Trains, with $2 million to be deducted for legal costs.

Clothing giant H&M has resolved a lawsuit brought by its former head of human resources in Australia, who accused the company of breaching employment laws. 

One Nation politician Pauline Hanson has lost her appeal of a ruling that found she breached the Racial Discrimination Act with a tweet that said Greens senator Mehreen Faruqi should “piss off back to Pakistan”.

Two Deloitte reports commissioned by a Swiss law firm for Credit Suisse are protected by legal professional privilege despite access given to financial regulators investigating the collapse of supply chain financier Greensill. 

A class action over Victoria's hotel quarantine debacle that has settled for $125 million wants to amend the group definition to clarify that non-retail businesses are not part of the case.

Lender RND Funding wants to revise its case against BDO Advisory and auditor Ernst & Young over advice given to defunct Adelaide company Gen1 Biotechnology, a week out from trial.