Full Court orders rehearing in Erin Molan defamation case

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The Full Federal Court has set aside a $150,000 defamation judgment for sports presenter Erin Molan and remitted the matter for a new trial, after finding a judge failed to properly consider publisher the Daily Mail’s defence of contextual truth.

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Government backs union suit against McDonald’s over class action

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The Albanese government will urge the court to shut down a Shine Lawyers-led class action against McDonald’s for allegedly denying workers rest breaks and allow a similar $250 million case by the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association to proceed instead.

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PNG minister’s defamation award cut after ‘regrettable’ error by judge

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A judge has shaved $80,000 off the damages recently awarded to a Papua New Guinea politician who sued Fairfax Media over a series of articles published in the Australian Financial Review, after finding she wrongly discounted a mitigation defence by the publisher.

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Judge doubts Scenic Tours’ de-classing bid in cruise class action

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A judge has questioned a bid by cruise operator Scenic Tours to water down a class action brought over a series of European cruises that went ahead in 2018 despite a record-breaking drought that saw river levels drop so low they became impassable.

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United Petroleum franchisees can’t stay lawsuits in light of class action

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A judge has declined a bid by former United Petroleum franchisees to stay two Federal Court proceedings in light of a class action against the petrol giant over the introduction of loss-making Pie Face stores, finding the suits have little in common.

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Montara oil spill class action firm, funder score half of $192.5M settlement

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A judge has largely approved the funder’s commission and legal fees to be deducted from a $192.5 million settlement of a class action against oil company PTTEP, despite the costs halving the amount to go to group members.

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Breakdown in Monique Ryan’s relationship with staffer ‘pretty stark’, judge says

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A judge has questioned a bid by Independent Monique Ryan’s chief of staff Sally Rugg to keep her job until her lawsuit against the MP is resolved, as the court released documents detailing the breakdown in the working relationship between the women.

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‘Court is not a place for their sport’: Judge slams stoush between funder, class action applicant

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A judge has ordered a litigation funder and the lead applicant in a settled class action to personally mediate a stoush over expenses, saying he doubted the applicant’s $1.2 million claim and said the court is “not a place for their sport”.

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Firm’s contingency fee re-do wins over judge in class actions against banks

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A law firm has won its second bid for a group costs order in three class actions against banks over flexible commission schemes after a judge in 2021 rejected what was then the first-ever application for a contingency fee.

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