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Magistrate’s refusal to allow note-taking in courtroom showed possible bias, judge finds
A local court magistrate showed apprehended bias by not allowing a self-represented plaintiff to take notes during cross-examination, a judge has found.
Amid push for reforms, judges refuse to recuse themselves time and again
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.
Judicial commission would be ‘protective, not disciplinary’, government says
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.
Settlement reached in associates’ sexual harassment case against judge
Multi-million dollar claims of sexual harassment by two associates of a former Victoria Supreme Court judge have been settled by the state out of court.
Albanese government to abolish ‘irreversibly damaged’ AAT
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.
Go-to silk for high stakes commercial cases among three new Federal Court judges
A senior barrister at the helm of important insurance test cases has been appointed to the Federal Court bench, along with two state court judges.
AAT president resigns amid controversy over appointments
The president of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal has resigned only eight months after her appointment to the top job by the former federal government.
Albanese budget invests $360M in anti-corruption commission, First Nations legal aid
A historic $99 million package has been committed for legal programs for First Nations people in the Albanese government's inaugural budget, which also earmarks $263 million to establish a national anti-corruption commission and scope out a federal judicial commission.
Supreme Court of Victoria singled out in report on judicial harassment
The Supreme Court of Victoria has been called out in a report into sexually inappropriate behavior and bullying by judges as an "extremely hierarchical" workplace that has all the risk factors for harassment.
Ads for new judges could be in store as AG vows transparent system for appointments
The use of advertisements to find eager applicants to fill federal judicial vacancies has been foreshadowed by the Attorney-General as he promises to bring more transparency and integrity to the process for appointing judges.