Two judges on the Full Court bench hearing arguments over power to make common fund orders when approving class action settlements appeared to tip their hand on Monday, chipping away at a High Court judgment that has sowed deep division.
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.
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.
Network Ten has fired back at journalist Tegan George’s reworked sex discrimination case, claiming that its alleged failure to prevent a “sexually hostile, demeaning and oppressive” culture was not unlawful under the Fair Work Act.
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.
Extended settlement talks in a Fair Work suit brought by the chief of staff to Independent MP Monique Ryan have failed, and lawyers for Sally Rugg will seek to add claims of serious contraventions to what they say is a test case for determining ‘reasonable’ overtime.
The Australian Securities and Investments Commission has brought its first-ever case alleging breach of whistleblower protections against coal producer TerraCom, claiming it made misleading statements to the market that damaged a whistleblower’s reputation.
The divisive issue of whether judges are empowered to make a common fund order to distribute the costs of a funding commission at the settlement stage of a class action is headed back to the Full Federal Court next week.
Seafood processing company De Costi Seafoods has been hit with a $60,000 penalty for failing to pay workers overtime for shifts starting before 6am, with a judge finding the company failed to show any contrition.
Department store David Jones and men’s fashion label Politix have admitted underpaying more than 7,000 employees and will back-pay the workers $4 million in wages and superannuation.