Peter Dunning

The High Court has granted special leave to farmers in a class action against Advanta Seeds over allegedly contaminated product to challenge a court’s finding that a disclaimer nullified the company’s duty to protect growers against economic loss.

Mining magnate Clive Palmer and his company Mineralogy have lost a bid to amend one of two cases that claim losses totalling $4 billion against CITIC after a judge found the amended claims would be “unfairly general”.

Mining magnate Clive Palmer and his company Mineralogy have lost a bid to block subpoenas asking their advisors to hand over information regarding the sale of Townville’s Yabulu nickel and cobalt refinery, as part of a $1.8 billion fight over the value of the site.   

The Federal Court’s new Chief Justice Debra Mortimer will bring a sense of adventure to her role as top judge, which she foreshadowed will be approached holistically in a welcome ceremony before pre-eminent members of the legal community. 

The farmers leading a class action against Advanta Seeds over contaminated product have brought their case to the High Court, challenging an appeals court’s holding that a disclaimer nullified the company’s duty to protect growers against economic loss.

The wife of the late mining executive Ken Talbot wanted to “destroy” the law firm that advised her husband about his will, a court has found in awarding costs against the widow.

Advanta Seeds has won an appeal upholding the dismissal of a class action by sorghum farmers over allegedly contaminated seeds, with a court finding that the seed producer’s duty of care was negated by clear disclaimers.

Clive Palmer’s Queensland Nickel and three other Palmer-related entities have been ordered to pay $44.5 million (US$30.8 million) to litigation funder Vannin Capital for defaulting on a loan for a private jet.

The widow of mining executive Ken Talbot has lost a case alleging law firms Arnold Bloch Leibler and Boyd Legal mishandled her late husband’s estate after a judge found she had a “stated intention to destroy” the estate lawyer.

The High Court has unanimously dismissed Western Power’s challenge to a judgment which found 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.