The legal sector has welcomed NSW Supreme Court Justice Robert Beech-Jones’ elevation to the highest court in Australia, with former colleagues noting his legal acumen and generosity.
The legal community has welcomed the appointment of Justice Stephen Gageler to be the 14th chief justice of the High Court, praising the judge for his “deep humanity” and unmatchable expertise in constitutional law.
The High Court has found a Whitsundays resort is not vicariously liable for the actions of an employee who urinated on his roommate in staff accommodation after a night of drinking, finding the act had “no real connection” to his employment.
The High Court has ruled that the buyer of a well-known Sydney hotel was not entitled to repudiate the purchase agreement because of the hotel’s compliance with restrictions on public gatherings during the COVID-19 pandemic, which affected the operation of the business.
Chief Justice Susan Kiefel has decried the low number of women barristers appearing in the High Court, questioning whether there is a “price” to pay for state and federal policies focused on appointing more female judges.
Google has won its appeal of a judgment awarded to gangland lawyer George Defteros that found the tech giant liable for linking to an allegedly defamatory article, with the High Court finding Google was not the publisher of the story.
The High Court has reinstated a $435,000 judgment awarded to a former lawyer who suffered post-traumatic stress disorder while working for the Special Sexual Offences unit in Victoria’s Office of Public Prosecutions.
The High Court has declined a special leave application by Clive Palmer-owned mining firms challenging a judgment which ordered the billionaire to repay a $102 million loan taken out from Queensland Nickel prior to its collapse in 2016.
The High Court will hear a challenge by Western Power to an appeals court judgment which found that the state-owned electricity supplier breached its duty of care to inspect power poles on private land and was partly liable for property damage from the 2014 Perth Hills bushfire.
US bank Wells Fargo and Florida-based aviation leasing company Willis Lease Finance will have to pay $500,000 for the relocation of leased aircraft engines to Virgin after losing a High Court bid to have the airline foot the bill.