Taking the stand Monday in a defamation dispute with mining billionaire Clive Palmer, WA premier Mark McGowan said Palmer’s “hurtful and outrageous” public comments led to death threats against his wife and family.
A decision by Qantas to outsource its ground staff was not timed to head off industrial action by the Transport Workers’ Union, the Full Federal Court has heard as the airline seeks to overturn a finding that it engaged in adverse action when it terminated around 1,800 employees last year.
An appeals court challenge by a group of small businesses seeking coverage under business interruption insurance policies for losses flowing from COVID-19 restrictions has largely failed.
Clive Palmer said he feared for his physical safety as a result of the criminal immunity granted to the WA government by legislation and the consequent ‘political campaign’ waged against him, as he took the stand for the first time in his defamation trial against the WA premier.
A judge overseeing the closely watched trial in Clive Palmer’s defamation case against WA Premier Mark McGowan has vented his frustrations with the state of Australian defamation proceedings, railing against what he said was the common practice of parties refusing to concede even minor points.
Comments made about Clive Palmer by Western Australia premier Mark McGowan in press conferences were “heavy with historical and sinister significance”, a court has heard on the first day of trial in the mining billionaire’s defamation case.
The High Court has bolstered the position of businesses hiring independent contractors with two rulings clarifying the importance of the contract in determing the status of workers.
Consumer goods giant Reckitt-Benckiser is seeking special leave from the High Court to challenge a Full Court judgment that overturned a finding that AFT Pharmaceuticals ads’ for its painkiller Maxigesic were misleading.
A judge who has been an enthusiastic lab rat in the virtual hearing experiment forced on the country’s courts by the COVID-19 pandemic has expressed doubts that he is accurately reading witnessses giving remote evidence.
Western Australia premier Mark McGowan has been ordered to appear in person in a Sydney court to give evidence at trial in a defamation case by mining billionaire Clive Palmer, but a judge has pushed back the hearing so McGowan can attend state parliament.