Judges

Buoyed by the recent trial success of CBA and other companies facing shareholder ire, building materials giant Boral is taking its chances at a hearing in a class action alleging disclosure breaches linked to its US windows business.

A judge has signed off on a $230 million settlement of a class action on behalf of thousands of junior doctors who allege they were systemically underpaid by the NSW government.

Contractor Kingfisher Mobile has dropped a claim against Telstra in a $45 million lawsuit alleging the telco breached a November 2022 contract when it engaged a new provider to take over. 

The consumer regulator must identify the advertisements it relies on to prove its case against Meta over scam cryptocurrency ads on Facebook, with a judge saying the social media giant should know the case it has to meet.

Deciding an “unusually difficult” costs application, a judge has declined to award Monsanto all of its costs for defending a class action alleging its Roundup weed killer is carcinogenic, saying the agrochemical giant should have pushed harder for a split trial. 

Linda Reynolds has won her bid to subpoena HWL Ebsworth for correspondence with the Commonwealth prior to its $2.4 million settlement Brittany Higgins, as the senator contests Higgins’ characterisation of her decision to refer the settlement to the corruption watchdog as harassment.

Senator Linda Reynolds has admitted she gave incorrect evidence at Bruce Lehrmann’s criminal trial concerning the day he allegedly raped Brittany Higgins, saying it was her “best recollection” at the time. 

A judge has rejected Queensland’s bid to transfer two class actions over the removal of Indigenous children to its home turf from Victoria, saying removal was unnecessary in light of the court’s use of livestreaming technology and willingness to hold hearings in Brisbane.

Senator Linda Reynolds has asked the court for leave to issue a subpoena to HWL Ebsworth’s chief executive partner for correspondence leading up to the Commonwealth’s $2.4 million settlement with Brittany Higgins over the government’s handling of her rape allegations. 

Senator Linda Reynolds has faced cross-examination over her messages with accused rapist Bruce Lehrmann’s senior counsel ahead of his criminal trial, with the court hearing the barrister told her “s**t is going to get real soon” and “karma comes to those who wait”.