Ford

A judge has refused a bid to expand the group membership in an underpayments class action against discount retailer The Reject Shop, saying it was based on a misconceived premise. 

Super Retail has rejected as “fanciful” a claim by two former executives that they reached a binding oral settlement with their employer after their dismissal in May. 

The University of Sydney will pay $23 million to over 14,000 current and former workers who were underpaid over an 8-year period as part of a deal with the Fair Work Ombudsman.

The High Court has upheld appeals in class actions against Ford and Toyota over the calculation of damages for reduction in value of defective vehicles.

The High Court has granted special to leave to a class action against Ford over allegedly PowerShift transmissions, agreeing to hear the case alongside two appeals in a class action against Toyota that deal with how reduction in value damages should be calculated under the Australian Consumer Law.

The High Court has been asked to hear another case dealing with how reduction in value damages should be calculated under the Australian Consumer Law, with Ford arguing its appeal should be heard alongside two appeals in a class action against Toyota which the High Court has already agreed to take up.

Despite noting that a class action trial and appeal were “unusual”, a judge overseeing a long-running class action against Ford has refused an application to send a notice to group members about a coming appeal in the case.

Ford is seeking an extended hearing of its appeal from a class action judgment in favour of 185,000 vehicle owners over their allegedly defective cars, saying a “significant excavation” of the ruling is now in order. 

An appeal in a class action over Ford’s alleged defective Powershift transmission could blow out by a week, with the applicant filing a cross appeal in a case that comes down to three provisions of the Australian Consumer law given little or no attention by the Full Court.

Ford has challenged its loss in a class action over its allegedly defective PowerShift transmissions, arguing group members who have had their cars repaired are not entitled to damages.