A leading barrister has been appointed by the NSW premier to head an inquiry to investigate the docking and disembarking of the Ruby Princess cruise ship, now linked to 18 COVID-19 related deaths.
The novel coronavirus pandemic has forced Australian courtrooms into the virtual world, with many barristers and solicitors litigating via phone or video for the first time. Here, some of Australia’s top barristers offer tips on how to bring your A game into the virtual realm.
The applicant in a $47.6 million class action against a unit of car leasing company McMillan Shakespeare has been denied access to insurance documents sought to determine the value of the case, with a judge saying access would “distort the playing field”.
Kraft has lost an appeal in its high-stakes legal battle against Bega over the right to use its distinctive peanut butter trade dress in Australia.
Arguing that the court should not be “baulking at problems that have the potential to occur”, counsel for a class action against Ford is pushing back against a bid by the car maker to put the brakes on an upcoming virtual trial the company says will be too difficult and costly.
A judge has refused to delay a civil penalty hearing brought by ASIC against GetSwift, scheduled to begin in June, after the logistics company argued that the virtual hearing necessitated by the COVID-19 pandemic would be prejudicial and the proceedings should be adjourned.
Lamenting that he now has less flexibility to manage commission rates, a judge has called for legislative intervention to give courts authority to regulate funding arrangements at the outset of class actions, a power stripped from them by the High Court late last year.
While law firms and barristers are bracing for work slowdowns due to the coronavirus, litigation funders told Lawyerly it’s business as usual for them.
A fair trial cannot be conducted in a virtual courtroom, the judge overseeing the criminal case against former NSW Labor ministers Eddie Obeid and Ian Macdonald has said in adjourning their hearing for five months.
Seven West Media has filed a lawsuit against Bauer Media to compel the German company to complete its planned $40 million acquisition of the Australian media giant’s Pacific Magazines unit.