HWL Ebsworth Lawyers

The judge overseeing Bruce Lehrmann’s defamation trial against Network Ten has allowed the accused rapist to rely on a settlement deed between the federal government and Brittany Higgins, saying it was ‘inconsistent’ with her evidence.

Consumer goods giant Procter & Gamble Australia made misleading statements that its Fairy ‘30 Minute Miracle’ dishwashing tablet was better at cleaning than Reckitt Benckiser’s Finish Platinum Plus, but both companies made false claims about their products, a judge has found.

General Motors is stuck with the full costs of the applicant in a Holden dealers’ class action as part of a settlement with the dealership, despite arguing it had intended by its offer to pay the costs incurred only by the lead plaintiff itself.

A group of surgeons who worked for The Cosmetic Institute have lost a second bid to declass a representative proceeding on behalf of 13,500 patients who claim they were injured by botched breast augmentation surgery.

A top orthopaedic surgeon who is suing Nine for defamation has accused the outlet of contempt of court by publishing unadmitted evidence about his reputation, claiming the stories were “improper, unjust and lacking in bona fides”. 

Former Labor members Ian Macdonald, Eddie Obeid and his son Moses will remain in prison after losing a challenge to convictions for conspiracy to rig a tender process and secure a coal mining exploration licence for the Obeids’ land in the Bylong Valley.

General Motors has been accused of having “carefully curated” its list of witnesses to avoid giving evidence about the car maker’s decision to stop supplying Holden-branded vehicles in Australia, as trial in a class action by Holden dealers kicks off.

A class action against a group of surgeons who worked for The Cosmetic Institute over allegedly incompetent breast augmentation procedures has been set down for trial over the “loud protest” of the defendants, with a judge choosing to accommodate the plaintiff’s no win, no fee counsel team. 

General Motors could be stuck paying more costs than it bargained for after it settled with the lead plaintiff in a class action over a decision to retire the Holden brand.

The High Court has granted defunct online educator Captain Cook College special leave to appeal a finding that it engaged in systemic unconscionable conduct by enrolling thousands of unsuitable students, who accrued $60 million in debt but never finished their courses.