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AG tells High Court Judge Vasta not immune from false imprisonment claim
High Court 2024-05-21 11:25 pm By Cindy Cameronne

The attorney-general of South Australia wants to intervene in a High Court appeal of a ruling that put Judge Salvatore Vasta on the hook for a manā€™s false imprisonment, saying the judge was not entitled to immunity but that police and correctional officers were.

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High Court asked to take up judicial immunity appeal
Appeals 2023-11-22 4:07 pm By Cat Fredenburgh

The state of Queensland has urged the High Court to step in after a Federal Circuit and Family Court judge was held personally liable for a man’s false imprisonment.

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Judge up for costs in false imprisonment case, but not for abandoned expert
Legal Ethics 2023-11-02 11:00 pm By Sam Matthews

A man awarded $300,000 after he was unlawfully imprisoned for contempt has won his legal costs from the judge who jailed him. But a court has rejected his bid to recoup the costs paid to a damages expert in his case, finding he gave her ā€œincomplete, inaccurate and unreliableā€ instructions.

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Court awards $300,000 for wrongful imprisonment by family law judge
Legal Ethics 2023-08-30 12:34 pm By Sam Matthews

A Queensland man has prevailed in his case alleging Federal Circuit and Family Court Judge Salvatore Vasta unlawfully imprisoned him for contempt after he failed to comply with an order for particulars, winning over $300,000 in damages.

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Man suing judge for unlawful imprisonment blasts ‘hopeless’ defence
Trials 2022-05-24 8:13 pm By Cindy Cameronne

The state of Queensland has brought a “hopeless” defence in a $2.5 million suit alleging a Federal Circuit judge unlawfully imprisoned a Queensland man for contempt after he failed to comply with an order for particulars, a court has heard.

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‘Capricious’ conduct by Morrison government dooms Beetaloo gas contract
Energy & Natural Resources 2021-12-23 5:42 pm By Miklos Bolza

A judge has voided contracts between the Morrison government and a subsidiary of Empire Energy for gas exploration in the Beetaloo Basin after finding the decision to enter the agreement in the midst of litigation was “legally unreasonable or capricious”.

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On trial for ‘parody of court hearing’, judge says he made a mistake
Trials 2021-12-06 9:25 pm By Bianca Hrovat

A Federal Circuit Court judge has hit back at accusations he conducted ā€œthe grossest parody of a court hearingā€ when he unlawfully imprisoned a Queensland man for contempt of court, telling a trial ā€œhe is a human being [who] made a mistakeā€.

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Beetaloo gas exploration was approved to ‘stymie’ climate change case, judge told
Climate change 2021-11-02 9:14 pm By Miklos Bolza

The Morrison government decision’s to enter into a contract with a subsidiary of Empire Energy for gas exploration in the Beetaloo Basin was an effort to “stymie” climate change litigation brought against the federal resources minister, a court has heard.

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AGs should get chance to intervene in Judge Vasta lawsuit ASAP, judge says
Courts 2021-07-15 1:34 pm By Miklos Bolza

A Federal Court judge has said he will be “quite unimpressed” with 11th hour bids to notify state Attorneys-General of constitutional disputes in a wrongful imprisonment lawsuit against Federal Circuit Court Judge Salvatore Vasta, ordering the parties to act swiftly to let the states intervene in the case.

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Adverse finding against Judge Vasta would face ‘inevitable’ challenge, court hears
Courts 2021-06-24 4:17 pm By Miklos Bolza

A judge hearing a lawsuit against Federal Circuit Court Judge Salvatore Vasta over alleged wrongful imprisonment has heard that a finding putting the Commonwealth on the hook for future jurisdictional errors by judges would meet an “inevitable” appeal.

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