Judges

A judge has refused Wollongong Coal’s bid for indemnity costs after it successfully defended a case by Singaporean commodities trader UIL, with a judge finding that refusing a $400,000 settlement offer in the $350 million case was not unreasonable. 

A judge has approved a $55 million settlement in an underpayments class action against budget grocery chain Aldi on behalf of workers who were allegedly denied pay for work done before and after shifts.

Apple has been ordered to reinstate Epic Games' Fortnite game to its App Store in Australia and allow developers to offer in-app payment methods to Australians, after it was found to have breached competition laws.

Starbucks has prevailed in a bid by a landlord of the coffee chain's Ripley, Queensland outlet to set aside a demand for $450,000 as part of a rent dispute.

A court has approved a $125 million settlement in the class action over Victoria's botched hotel quarantine program, and has largely signed off on the plaintiff's firm proposed contingency fee.

A judge has refused a bid by fund manager Blue Sky for an extension in a shareholder class action, saying the amount of costs wasted in the case by “unreasonable positions being taken” was "astounding".

Superannuation trustee Macquarie says a class action over the collapse of the Shield investor fund needs to back up its claim of loss, which it says must account for its remediation to members in a parallel case by ASIC. 

Optus has urged a court to make orders requiring group members to register for a data breach class action that covers 9.5 million people, but the lead applicant argues the case should remain open. 

Pizza chain Domino's has lodged an appeal and secured a stay of orders following a ruling in a class action that it misled franchisees on worker pay entitlements.

A judge overseeing competing shareholder class actions against James Hardie has said the judge who hears a carriage fight and applications for a group costs order should preside over the trial to avoid inefficiencies.