Judges

A judge has ordered the administrator for two class actions over PFAS contamination that settled for $153 million to pay the leftover funds to group members rather than to charities, saying it was not appropriate “to go around making donations”. 

A Dubai-based investor is seeking to vary "punitive" freezing orders won by a brokerage firm that claims he failed to repay a $10.7 million (US$7.2 million) debt over a "highly unusual" airport investment proposal.

The University of NSW has been hit with a $211,200 penalty after admitting to "systemic" underpayments of casual staff at its business school.

A tribunal has ordered a Queensland solicitor to pay $30,000 for advertising personal injury services, up from the $2,000 penalty the lawyer agreed to pay, saying it was "concerning" the lawyer claimed ignorance of a breach of the law. 

Alinta Energy has won an appeal against a mining warden's decision to refuse an extension to lodge objections against Pilbara Energy's licence application for a renewable energy project.

The Prime Minister has appointed former High Court Justice Virginia Bell to lead a royal commission into antisemitism in the wake of the Bondi terrorist attack, in which 15 were killed during Hanukkah celebrations. 

A Federal Court suit by HR company Employment Hero accusing investor and rival Seek of misusing its market power has been resolved.

A judge has ordered the lead applicant in a failed class action against Queensland utilities Stanwell and CS Energy, which was slated to be worth $1 billion, to pay $32.4 million in costs.

The developer of a luxury apartment complex in Sydney's CBD has fended off a stay application in a spat with the owners corporation, with a judge finding that it was not precluded from resolving their dispute through the courts.

A judge has removed a liquidator from the winding up of a Victorian cabinetry business, finding he failed to act honestly by settling unfair preference claims with tax agencies without disclosing key information.