Requests by litigants for judges to disqualify themselves from presiding over cases were largely denied last year, in a raft of decisions containing lessons for litigants weighing up their own recusal bids in 2023.
A Corrs Chambers Westgarth veteran known for his work defending the Catholic Church has left the law firm for rival Wotton + Kearney, taking with him a number of senior associates as well as the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne.
ASIC commissioner Sean Hughes will step down next month after taking a role with investment manager Vanguard – which paid a $40,000 fine to the corporate watchdog just last month.
The Albanese government is inviting submissions on a federal judicial commission tasked with dealing with alleged misconduct by judges, saying the commission will strive for transparency and will not adopt a disciplinary model.
The state of Western Australia has been left with a $2 million legal bill for defending a defamation action by billionaire Clive Palmer and advancing cross-claims on behalf of premier Mark McGowan, which a judge blasted as “a futile exercise”.
The founder of investment group Mayfair 101 must foot half his costs of a successful appeal of a 20-year ban on fund raising because of the many “spurious” grounds of appeal he pressed.
Lawyerly will be closed from December 26 until January 9.
The Albanese government has vowed to abolish and replace the Administrative Appeals Tribunal, saying it has been “fatally compromised” by the former government which allegedly appointed political allies who had no expertise.
Competition among class action law firms is expected to heat up next year as veteran lawyer Jan Saddler departs Shine Lawyers to start her own firm.
Ashurst has lured a partner from Hall & Wilcox as the firm looks to expand its Sydney real estate team.