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Victorian aged care facilities can’t declass claims in COVID-19 class actions
Victorian aged care homes accused of “major failures” during the first wave of the COVID-19 pandemic have lost their bid to declass claims of neglect brought in two class actions on behalf of residents and their grieving families.
NSW judges give up pay rise, citing ‘devastating’ effects of COVID-19
Judges of the NSW Supreme Court passed up their annual pay rise in 2020 as the court and the public made dramatic changes to adapt to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Appeals dismissed in ‘inconceivable’ challenge to NSW COVID-19 jab mandate
An appeals court has found it “inconceivable” that legislation aimed at protecting public health would not have afforded the New South Wales health minister the power to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for certain workers, given the outbreak of the Delta strain of the coronavirus.
Fair Work Commission finds BHP vaccine mandate unlawful
A full bench of the Fair Work Commission has struck down a BHP requirement that all workers at its Mt Arthur coal mine in NSW be vaccinated against COVID-19, finding the mandate was unreasonable and unlawful for lack of consultation.
Judge denies ‘hostility’ towards COVID-19 vaccine mandate challengers
Victorian workers challenging the government's health directions requiring workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 have lost their second bid to disqualify the judge hearing the case on the ground of apprehended bias.
‘No prospects of success’: Judge tosses COVID-19 class action over Victoria’s botched hotel quarantine
Two landmark class actions seeking damages from the Victorian government for economic losses suffered during last year's second wave of COVID-19 have been thrown out, but one of the cases will be given a second chance to proceed.
Cosmetics brand Mecca wins contract spat with Hourglass over COVID-19 closures
Australian beauty and skincare retailer Mecca has triumphed in a lawsuit brought against US makeup brand Hourglass, which tried to terminate an exclusive distribution agreement because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Virgin Australia tweaks COVID-19 vaccination policy to resolve union lawsuit
Virgin Australia has walked back part of its COVID-19 vaccination policy after the union representing aircraft maintenance engineers received hundred of complaints about the requirement that they provide their Individual Health Identifier as part of proof of their vaccination status.
Acciona may have ‘difficulty’ persuading court in spat over $696M Kwinana project
A judge has granted a 21-day stay of a lawsuit brought by Acciona, a Spanish infrastructure company seeking to use COVID-19 as a reason to back out of its construction contract for the $696 million Kwinana waste-to-energy plant, and has warned the company it faces a difficult task to persuade the court of its case.
Blinking in the sun: Junior counsel – rejoining the real world after lockdown
In the crucial early years of practice junior barristers have been deprived of vital learning opportunities as a result of COVID-19 lockdowns necessitating the move to online court hearings. The promised return to in-person proceedings is critical for the professional development of counsel just starting out, and equally critical for the Bar as a whole, says noted silk Rachel Doyle.