Class Actions

A judge has put a climate change class action on behalf of Torres Strait Islanders on a tight timetable and committed herself to handing down judgment soon after trial, saying the case was one of “considerable urgency”.

Shine and Phi Finney McDonald’s fallback plan to cooperatively run a class action against Nuix has come under fire, with the technology company urging the court to make the two firms compete against one another for sole carriage.

Uber is challenging a ruling that found many email exchanges with its lawyers were made in furtherance of offences and were not protected by legal professional privilege, saying it would be forced to hand over to a class action “bog standard” legal advice.

The lead applicants in a climate change class action by Torres Strait Islanders are hoping the Commonwealth will admit climate change targets set by the Morrison government were “woefully inadequate”, a court heard Friday. 

US medical device maker Boston Scientific has agreed to pay $105 million to settle a class action on behalf of Australian women implanted with one or more of the company’s pelvic mesh or sling products.

A judge has dismissed a proceeding against the New South Wales government over a mandate requiring healthcare workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19, saying the applicant’s constitutional case was “legally misconceived and must be rejected.”

In the latest round of finger-pointing in a consolidated shareholder class action against Noumi, formerly Freedom Foods, the food company has taken aim at Deloitte’s claims that it gave the accounting firm misleading information.

A judge has ordered that a competition class action against Queensland power companies Stanwell and CS Energy be made open to all energy consumers in the state, saying it was not a “plain vanilla” commercial class action. 

A judge overseeing the settlement approval of an underpayments class action against telco contractor BSA has questioned whether litigation funders should receive commissions lower than the market rate for running employment class actions.

The funder and law firm running a shareholder class action against recycling company Sims Limited are seeking more than 57 per cent of a $29.5 million settlement for commission and costs, including an insurance policy to cover the risks of losing the case.