Judgment

A court has ordered a stay of proceedings in a Melbourne property dispute, saying whether it could hear the case "better" than VCAT, as alleged by builder Brocon, was not the point.

A rental company providing long-term leases for household items has been slugged with a $7.4 million penalty after a court found its loan agreements did not comply with credit laws. 

A court has ruled that media reports accusing well-known orthopaedic surgeon Dr Munjed Al Muderis of unethical and profit-driven promotion of an experimental procedure were substantially true, tossing his defamation suit against Fairfax and its owner Nine.  

A judge has handed iSignthis and its director $11 million in penalties for failing to give adequate disclosures and giving misleading information to the ASX, saying reliance on legal advice was no reason to reduce the fine.

A judge that granted carriage of a Google ad tech class action to Maurice Blackburn and Phi Finney McDonald has reiterated concerns that such cooperative arrangements between firms could breach competition law.

An appeals court has rejected a bid by NSW MP and convicted rapist Gareth Ward to block state parliament from expelling him until any appeals against his conviction are determined.

Victoria will continue to be a magnet for class actions after the High Court shot down solicitors' common fund orders as clashing with NSW law, but the door may still be open for garden state lawyers to try their luck in the Federal Court.

The High Court has unanimously found the Federal Court has no power to allow solicitors to take a cut of a settlement or judgment in a shareholder class action against Blue Sky, saying it would be contrary to rules against contingency fees in NSW. 

A judge has spiked Piper Alderman's class action alleging Google abuses its dominance in digital advertising, favouring a competing case run jointly by two other firms, despite suggesting such arrangements hinted at lawyers “passing the prize around”. 

An Aboriginal group joined to Regis Resources’ challenge to a decision concerning its McPhillamys gold mine has won an order capping its costs at $20,000, with a judge rejecting the gold producer's argument the order was unnecessary.