The Murray-Darling Basin Authority will soon make its case directly to an appeals court that it can rely on defences limiting its liability to farmers in a class action alleging negligent oversight of the river system, a question that could have implications for other climate change cases against government agencies.
Leading Australian oil and gas producer Santos is accused of misleading the market by “greenwashing” its environmental credentials in a landmark shareholder-led lawsuit filed in the Federal Court.
Gina Rinehart’s Hancock Prospecting has avoided a discovery order that would cost an estimated $3 million to comply with, with a judge instead ordering that limited discovery be given to two Rinehart children in an ongoing family dispute over titles for the Hope Down iron ore mine.
Sydney retail personality Con Constantine has lost an appeal seeking to bolster a $4.25 million judgment in his favour over the $81.8 million Parklea Markets sale in 2016.
The judge overseeing class actions against Commonwealth Bank over its money laundering compliance failures has threatened to force the parties to go to trial by a certain date if they can’t agree to “sensible” time limits to ready the case for hearing, noting he would reach retirement age in 2024.
Crown Resorts chair Helen Coonan and the CEO of Crown Melbourne will step down at the end of this month, the latest heads to roll as the casino operator attempts to persuade Royal Commissioner Ray Finkelstein QC that it should keep its Victorian licence.
A friend of Christian Porter’s accuser has lodged complaints with the NSW legal watchdog against silk Sue Chrysanthou and Porter’s solicitor, Rebekah Giles, for their conduct in representing the former Attorney-General in his defamation case against the ABC.
The Commonwealth says a landmark ruling in a class action that found it has a duty of care to protect Australian children from the effects of global warming is “incoherent” and distorts its ability to balance competing interests.
A judge has questioned the legal disbursements sought to be approved in a $30 million class action settlement against Westpac over allegedly excessive life insurance premiums, particularly the “extraordinarily large” barrister fees charged in the case.
Apple plans to appeal the Full Federal Court’s decision that Epic Games’ misuse of market power lawsuit over it App Store terms should be heard in Australia because the case raises issues of “fundamental public interest”.