Former Liberal staffer Bruce Lehrmann has faced cross-examination over text messages to his girlfriend in which he said he received legal advice that he could get âmillionsâ if he filed a defamation case against Network Ten over its airing of Brittany Higginsâ rape allegations, a court has heard.
The question of whether judges have the power to hear employment cases as representative proceedings is headed to the Full Court after a union raised the issue as it battles to have its underpayments case against McDonald’s run instead of a Shine Lawyers class action.
Network Ten and News Corp have mounted truth defences in response to a defamation suit by accused rapist Bruce Lehrmann, arguing the claim that he raped fellow Liberal staffer Brittany Higgins in Parliament House in 2019 is substantially true.
A judge has expressed âreluctanceâ at a bid for accused rapist Bruce Lehrmann to face cross-examination at an upcoming hearing over whether his defamation claims against Network Ten, News Corp and two journalists should be tossed for being brought out of time.
A busy judge has pushed the parties in a class action against agrochemical giant Monsanto to split the trial to focus first on the question of whether the company’s Roundup weed killer causes cancer so that he can avoid writing a judgment of âhundreds and hundredsâ of pages.
Two judges on the Full Court bench hearing arguments over power to make common fund orders when approving class action settlements appeared to tip their hand on Monday, chipping away at a High Court judgment that has sowed deep division.
The Full Federal Court has set aside a $150,000 defamation judgment for sports presenter Erin Molan and remitted the matter for a new trial, after finding a judge failed to properly consider publisher the Daily Mail’s defence of contextual truth.
The Albanese government will urge the court to shut down a Shine Lawyers-led class action against McDonald’s for allegedly denying workers rest breaks and allow a similar $250 million case by the Shop Distributive and Allied Employees Association to proceed instead.
A judge has largely approved the funder’s commission and legal fees to be deducted from a $192.5 million settlement of a class action against oil company PTTEP, despite the costs halving the amount to go to group members.
The Daily Mail has argued that Nine sports presenter Erin Molan should be stripped of a $150,000 defamation damages award because of her history of âseriously egregious conductâ on 2GBâs Continuous Call Team radio show.