Television presenter Lisa Wilkinson has reportedly taken Network Ten to court, arguing her employer has reneged on a promise to cover her costs in defending defamation proceedings by former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann.
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.
The Full Federal Court has answered a question vexing the court for the past four years, ruling that class action judges have the power to make common fund orders at settlement that allow litigation funders to reap a percentage commission beyond their contractual entitlement.
The Full Federal Court’s finding that the High Court did not extinguish the power of judges to make common fund orders on approval of class action settlements is the latest milestone in the evolution of Australian class action jurisprudence, experts say.
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.
A Federal Court judge’s endorsement of the novel idea of a ‘solicitors’ common fund order’ may reverse the trend of class action lawyers running to the Supreme Court of Victoria, where they can earn a contingency fee, to file their cases.
A judge has awarded carriage of a class action against Jaguar Land Rover over allegedly defective diesel filters to a law firm that won a similar case against another car maker, saying the firm’s experience was not a “neutral factor”.
The future of a competition class action against AGL Energy is in doubt after being abandoned by its funder, despite evading the energy supplier’s bid to dismiss the case.
With bated breath class action litigators and funders have waited for this day, when the Full Federal Court decides the question of power to make common fund orders at settlement. They aren’t the final arbiters, but the judges’ ruling may be no less important for that.
A bondholder class action against Virgin is heating up, with the airline filing a cross-claim seeking the court’s approval to demand periodic payments from the applicant to cover its costs under a contentious indemnity clause.