Class Actions
‘Egregious’: Judge awards plaintiff $93K in strip search class action against NSW Police
A judge has ordered the NSW government to pay $93,000 in damages to the lead plaintiff in a class action over police strip searches at music festivals, finding there was a “conspicuous deficiency” in the training of officers.
Real Estate
Intrapac unit sues Casey Group for ‘underhand’ real estate transaction
Intrapac unit Brencorp has filed a suit against Casey Group, alleging the rival property developer devised an “underhand” deal to swindle it out of the acquisition of a golf club in southeast Melbourne.
Class Actions
Class action launched over ‘discriminatory’ Work for Dole program
The Commonwealth has been hit with a class action on behalf of thousands of Indigenous people living in remote areas who took part in the “discriminatory and unjust” Work for the Dole program.
Energy & Natural Resources
ACEN wins government approval for NSW wind farm
Renewables company ACEN has won the Albanese government's approval to build its 900 megawatt Valley of the Winds project in Coolah, NSW.
Privacy & Cybersecurity
Australian Clinical Labs agrees to $5.8M penalty over data breach
In the first penalty to be handed down for breaches of the Privacy Act, pathology services provider Australian Clinical Labs has agreed to cop a $5.8 million fine over a 2022 data breach that compromised the personal information of 223,000 customers of its Medlab business.
Trials
Clayton Utz senior advisor won’t give evidence in ANZ whistleblower trial
ANZ can't call its former group chief risk officer — now a strategic advisor for Clayton Utz — to give evidence as it defends a whistleblower case by former trader Etienne Alexiou.
Employment
ANZ whistleblower trial kicks off, with trader admitting inappropriate messages
Former ANZ trader Etienne Alexiou has admitted during cross-examination that lewd messages sent to other bankers through Bloomberg’s messaging platform were inappropriate and could cause offence.
Privacy & Cybersecurity
Optus reports another Triple Zero outage
Optus has suffered another Triple Zero outage, just over a week after a 13-hour outage across three states that was linked to the deaths of three people.
Competition & Consumer Protection
RV maker Jayco must back up defence claim in ACCC case, court says
Jayco must spell out its claim that it explained the specific features of its recreational vehicles to customers, as part of its defence to an ACCC case over alleged misleading statements, a judge has said.
Superannuation
REST misled over 2,000 members about insurance cover, ASIC says
Super trustee Retail Employees Superannuation has paid two infringement notices after ASIC alleged it misled over 2,000 members after inadvertently activating insurance cover.
