Class Actions

Cruise operator Scenic Tours is stuck with a $10 million damages bill but has avoided paying for disappointed traveller’s flights, after an appeals court mostly rejected its appeal of an award to travellers who were promised a “once in a lifetime cruise along the grand waterways of Europe” but were instead forced to take the bus.

The state of Victoria is trying again to stay a class action over the 2020 hotel quarantine debacle in light of a pending criminal action against the Department of Health, telling an appeals court the fundamental principles of the criminal justice system must be protected.

A judge has slammed as a “schemozzle” a law firm’s attempt to drop a class action by Telstra employees over the telecom giant’s COVID-19 vaccine policy, saying it failed to seek court approval for the discontinuance or give notice to group members as required.

Discount retail chain The Reject Shop has become the latest Australian company to be stung with an underpayments class action.

Qoin cryptocurrency issuer BPS Financial is fighting a class action applicant’s bid to amend its case for the fourth time, saying it is trying to bring an “entirely new claim”.

Toyota unit Hino has been hit with a second class action alleging it misrepresented the fuel efficiency and emissions performance of certain diesel vehicles for nearly twenty years.

Approved settlements in class actions since the regime was enacted are set to top $8 billion this year, according to a new report ranking the busiest litigation funders, which found most class action mega settlements were not funder backed.

Last year saw the lowest number of new class action filings in Australia since 2016, according to a new report.

According to a new report that details the highs and lows of litigation funder cuts in class action settlements, funders’ returns have dropped considerably since contingency fees were introduced in Victoria.

While shareholder class actions have been the bread and butter of litigation funders, a new report has revealed the rise of shareholder class actions brought by lawyers without the backing of third-party funding, especially in contingency fee-friendly Victoria.