Human Rights

A class action against Western Australia is seeking damages for alleged discrimination of Indigenous Australians detained for unpaid fines.

A judge has signed off on a $35 million settlement in a class action against the Northern Territory government over alleged human rights abuses against youth detainees, including $9.4 million in fees for Maurice Blackburn.

An appeals court has found it “inconceivable” that legislation aimed at protecting public health would not have afforded the New South Wales health minister the power to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for certain workers, given the outbreak of the Delta strain of the coronavirus.

Victorian workers challenging the government’s health directions requiring workers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 have lost their second bid to disqualify the judge hearing the case on the ground of apprehended bias.

Employment law experts say the current lawsuits challenging COVID-19 vaccine mandates are likely to fail, and that future lawsuits lurking around the corner will also face a high bar.

A judge has made the “regrettable” call to postpone the trial in a case brought by  workers challenging the Victorian government’s COVID-19 health directions until after they expire, blaming the workers for creating a series of “fruitless” delays.

The Northern Territory government has been hit with a class action alleging it discriminated against Indigenous Australians in Wadeye by failing to provide proper healthcare services.

Billionaire businessman and litigation hobbyist Clive Palmer is planning a lawsuit against the Queensland government, claiming new COVID-19 restrictions preventing unvaccinated persons from entering restaurants, pubs and clubs have created a “two-class state”.

A court has struck down a bid by unvaccinated nurses to restrain Monash Health from terminating their employment in accordance with the Victorian COVID-19 public health directions requiring them to be vaccinated, saying their case is “at best, weak”.

A group of 134 workers in healthcare, education and construction have argued a judge should grant them a temporary exemption from Victoria’s direction mandating essential employees be vaccinated against COVID-19 to work outside their homes.