Industries

The law firm that’s running a franchisee class action against United Petroleum over allegedly loss-making Pie Faces stores has has won its bid to peek at draft communications the oil giant wants to send to group members.

Two cosmetic surgeons have filed defamation suits seeking aggravated damages over coverage by the ABC and Fairfax that allegedly painted them as “outlaw surgeons” who mutilated a patient and exploited the Medicare system.

Monash Health has won its challenge to a decision finding it wrongfully dismissed a librarian in a ‘sham’ redundancy.

A judge has awarded ex-commando Heston Russell $390,000 in damages over coverage of alleged war crimes in Afghanistan, in the first ever post-trial judgment in a defamation case to consider the public interest defence.

A judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought over a development in Melbourne’s north, citing “inordinate and inexcusable delay” on behalf of the collapsed developer and its builder, which replaced its solicitors seven times.

The regulator for online safety has issued X with a $610,500 infringement notice for failing to answer questions on how it addresses child sexual exploitation material on its platform.

Payroll services provider PayMe Australia has lost its opposition to fintech Paymend’s bid to trade mark its name, with an IP Australia delegate finding the marks are not substantially identical. 

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.

A judge who signed off on a settlement in a class action against the  government by sovereign bondholders over the disclosure of climate risks said proving climate change posed a risk to government coffers may not be as difficult as the government has claimed.

A judge has declined a union’s bid to throw out an employee class action against McDonald’s after the Full Federal Court confirmed that employee class actions are not precluded by the Fair Work Act.