Judgment

An ANZ employee has lost her application in the Fair Work Commission to work from home full time on the basis that she is over 55 years old, with a commissioner saying there was no “rational connection” between her age and the request. 

Former Liberal MP Andrew Laming has been hit with a $40,000 fine for failing to disclose that he was behind three politically motivated Facebook posts in 2018 and 2019.

A judge has allowed a law firm running a shareholder class action against medical glove maker Ansell to earn a 40 per cent contingency fee, but slashed the rate for settlements or judgments over $50 million.

Publishing reasons for refusing an application by Super Retail Group to redact parts of its former chief legal officer’s case, a judge has called out the practice of “extensive” suppression applications despite the exhortations of courts that justice must be open.

A Sydney barrister and solicitor have settled a dispute over a $320,000 bill initially estimated to cost $60,000 after an appeals court found two costs agreements were void and held that courts should take a “purposive approach” to the rules governing costs disclosure obligations. 

The NSW appeals court has clarified the operation of the Uniform Law in the state, finding that insurers offering professional indemnity insurance to legal practitioners must be approved by the state’s Attorney General.

Several insurers have won a dispute with two Melbourne businesses about whether an industrial special risks policy can cover losses suffered during COVID-19 lockdowns, with a judge finding the policy did not respond just because there were recorded cases in Melbourne. 

A environmental group has lost its challenge to the extension of the Mount Pleasant open cut coal mine in NSW operated by MACH Energy, with a judge finding the planning commission considered greenhouse emissions and did not merely pay “lip service” to the issue.

The patent office has rejected Visa’s application to patent a token system for securing customer data, finding the process did not address a technical problem or provide a technical solution.

The full Fair Work Commission has rejected a union’s challenge to a decision affirming Energy Australia’s practice not to make superannuation contributions on earnings for time off in lieu of overtime for shift workers.