The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission said competition by smaller airlines was essential ‘now, more than ever’ as the airline industry undergoes a major upheaval due to the coronavirus and the administration of Virgin Airlines, and vowed to continue its probe of Qantas’ 19.9 per cent stake in Alliance Airlines.
The High Court will not weigh in on a jurisdictional challenge by the Democratic Republic of East Timor to a lawsuit brought by Australian oil and gas company Lighthouse Corporation over $328 million in alleged losses stemming from a failed fuel supply agreement.
The High Court has declined Fortescue Metals’ bid for special leave to appeal a ruling that granted native title to the Yinjibarndi people over a large section of land in the Pilbara region of Western Australia.
In its recent decision, the Federal Court has confirmed that schemes are not patentable merely because they are “new and ingenious” and are implemented using a computer. While the door is not completely closed on computer implemented schemes, the patentability threshold will never be passed unless there is some innovation in the computer technology, says Jane Owen and Rebecca Currey of Bird & Bird.
The Morrison Government will refund Centrelink recipients $721 million in debts paid as part of the controversial Robodebt scheme at the centre of a class action, a move lawyers for the class called an “unprecedented admission”.
The Federal Court has granted ASIC a legal win against Bendigo and Adelaide Bank, finding that its small business loan contracts were unfair and created a “significant imbalance” that was likely to detriment customers.
The settlement of two shareholder class actions against sandalwood producer Quintis has been delayed for a second time, as the parties continue to investigate the company’s eleventh-hour revelation that it may have extra insurance, which, according to the lawyers of one class action, could be worth $46 million to group members.
The prefab concrete company dragged into a class action over the ill-fated Opal Tower has launched its own legal volley against the engineering consultant behind the building design.
The lead plaintiff in the Queensland floods class action has been awarded more than $253,000 in compensation from the state government and two dam operators, which were found to have been jointly liable for damage from the 2011 disaster which destroyed 2,000 homes.
The former group general counsel of Meriton is suing the property giant and billionaire real estate developer Harry Triguboff for unfair dismissal, claiming he was fired for refusing to lie to the court.
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