Despite arguing for suppression as a means only to successful mediation, Westpac now wants a settled employment case brought by an executive kept under lock and key. And in a worrying sign the Federal Court may have lost sight of the importance of open justice, a judge has indicated she would entertain an order that the suit never see the light of day.
The Australian Energy Regulator has filed proceedings against several units of Origin Energy, after they admitted to breaching life support obligations for 5,000 customers over three years, including deregistering or disconnecting premises where someone was receiving life support.
The federal government has backed suggestions for changes to the Food and Grocery Code that would slap major grocery stores with fines of up to $10 million for violating the code, amid concerns over rising food prices.
An energy company has taken the minister for climate change and energy to court for refusing to greenlight its Seadragon wind farm project, which would have placed up to 150 wind turbines in waters off the coast of Gippsland, Victoria.
A new report from the Australian National Audit Office has found weaknesses in the Federal Court’s oversight of corporate credit cards, with the court agreeing to strengthen its policies and procedures, including in relation to the use of credit cards to cover taxi fares.
Offering a mixed review of the NSW budget on Tuesday, the Law Society of NSW welcomed the funding boost to legal aid and other key agencies but said the state should do more to modernize the courts.
McCullough Robertson has snagged a partner from HWL Ebsworth to join the firm’s construction and infrastructure team in Sydney.
Gilchrist Connell is growing its national insurance practice, nabbing three litigation experts from rival firm Colin Biggers and Paisley for its Sydney office.
Ashurst has lured two partners from competing firms to join its Perth office, bolstering its restructuring and investigations offerings for clients in the energy sector.
A Senate report into the government’s use of consultants, launched in the wake of PwC’s leak of confidential Treasury information, has recommended an inquiry into whether partnerships should be subject to the same regulations as corporations and again called on PwC to release the names of all those involved in the leak of confidential government information.