Judges

AMP and a number of its financial planning subsidiaries could face 1.2 million individual claims if they win a bid to declass a group proceeding over allegedly excessive insurance premiums, a judge has said.

Lawyers running the scandal-ridden Banksia class action have been struck from the roll of practitioners, will face criminal investigation and must pay group members $11.7 million in damages.

A judge overseeing a cartel case over a $2.5 billion ANZ share placement has granted ANZ's bid for unredacted documents which the bank says will support its claims that the case should be permanently stayed because of improper dealings between whistleblower JPMorgan, ASIC and the ACCC.

It has been described as the darkest chapter in Victoria's legal history, an exemplar of all that is terrible with class actions in Australia. A case of greedy lawyers who found their golden egg in a group of retirees who had lost their life savings, never thinking the chickens might come home to roost. Until now.

The NSW Supreme Court has outlined its roadmap back to holding live hearings but has said that those attending court in person will need to have both COVID-19 vaccination doses.

The aircraft engineers' union has filed Federal Court proceedings against Virgin Australia over alleged privacy breaches relating to the airline's enforcement of its mandatory COVID-19 vaccination policy.

Insurers have largely succeeded in challenging COVID-19 business interruption losses claimed by a group of small businesses, in an important second test case that could save the industry billions of dollars.

Supermarket giant Woolworths will pay an additional $50 million to current and former salaried team members and has provisionally settled an underpayments class action against it.

The applicants in the Queensland floods class action have asked the High Court to overturn a judgment which found dam operator Seqwater was not liable because it was functioning as a public authority when operating two dams during the 2011 floods, arguing the case raises important issues about appeals in 'mega' litigation.

Dick Smith's former CFO will appeal a $43 million judgment in favour of National Australia Bank over his role in the retailer's collapse.