Judges

A landmark case brought by a shareholder advocacy group accusing Santos of greenwashing will seek to argue the energy company misled the market by presenting its carbon offset programs as plans to reduce emissions.

A class action on behalf of women injured by alleged defective pelvic mesh will not advise group members the estimated average return from the proceeds of a settlement against defunct device manufacturer TFS’ insurer because it would be “cruel”.

A New South Wales developer will mount a challenge to a Full Court decision that tossed the ACCC’s competition case against NSW Ports over an agreement to privatise two ports, arguing the majority ruling was “plainly wrong”.

A judge has found that a Western Australian law firm can act for a doctor who has been sued for defamation despite having learned about the case from the plaintiff during a preliminary consultation. 

The judge overseeing a class action against Monsanto over its weed killer has rejected the agrochemical giant’s application to amend the common questions to be decided at a liability trial to account for its alternative defence.

A court has ordered the estate of Frank Wilson, founder of failed sandalwood producer Quintis, to be sequestered in a claim brought by Quintis subsidiary Arwon to recover an unpaid $15 million debt. 

A judge has expressed her concern over delays in a suite of cases filed against P&O Cruises by holidaymakers who were seriously injured in a fatal bus collision in Vanuatu in 2016.

Telstra and TPG have lost their challenge to the ACCC’s decision refusing authorisation for a $1.8 billion regional network sharing agreement, with the Australian Competition Tribunal finding the deal would increase Telstra’s dominance in the mobile phone market. 

A litigation funder whose cut of a $98 million settlement in franchise class actions against 7-Eleven was slashed in half is challenging a judge’s finding that “strong reasons” exist to refuse it a common fund order.

The applicant in a class action against Blue Sky Alternative Investments and auditor EY has raised an “often overlooked” principle to challenge the separate legal representation of two of the company’s directors, dodging applications for almost $15 million in security – for now.