Law Report
Episodes
Children and medical consent
09 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a dispute over the medical treatment of a gravely sick child, who gets the ultimate say? Three recent court rulings in New South Wales deal with t...
A deep dive into diplomatic immunity
02 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The case of the careless driver with diplomatic immunity who soured Britain's relationship with the US. And the former high commissioner in Canberra ...
Should foreign judges sit on Hong Kong's highest court? Anti-discrimination laws in religious schools
25 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Two English judges have resigned from Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal. Should four Australian judges stay or go?The Australian Law Reform Commissio...
How stressful is it to be a judge or magistrate?
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
New research examines the impact of heavy workloads on the well-being of judicial officers and the quality of justice delivered.
Protecting First Nations sacred sites: are Australian laws fit for the task?
11 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Traditional owners have welcomed an announcement by Parks Australia that it would plead guilty to damaging a sacred site at Gunlom Falls in Kakadu Na...
BAD NEIGHBOURS S2 E5 | Fences
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Bad fences make bad neighbours! The Law Report explores your rights and responsibilities when it comes to fences and boundaries.
Trump's legal woes; Bad Neighbours: fences
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What are Donald Trump's legal options after the former US president was found guilty of falsifying business records in the 'hush money' trial?
BAD NEIGHBOURS S2 E4 | Cars and apartments
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
From abandoned cars to electric vehicle charging, the Law Report shifts gears on your rights and responsibilities when it comes to cars in strata blo...
Can X be held liable for publishing hate speech in Australia? Bad Neighbours: cars & apartments
28 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a legal first, a Queensland tribunal finds the social media platform formerly known as Twitter can be held liable for hate speech published on the...
BAD NEIGHBOURS S2 E3 | Surveillance cameras
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Do you ever feel like you're being watched? The Law Report zooms in on curious neighbours and talks to experts about your rights and responsibilities...
UK court ruling paves way for new Assange appeal against extradition; Bad Neighbours: surveillance cameras
21 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Britain's High Court has ruled that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can bring a new appeal against extradition to the US on espionage charges. Also ...
BAD NEIGHBOURS S2 E2 | Water
16 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Law Report follows the flow of cases that create waves between neighbours and talks to experts about your rights and responsibilities when it com...
War crimes whistleblower David McBride sentenced; Bad Neighbours: water
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Former military lawyer David McBride has been sentenced to five years and eight months in prison for leaking classified documents that exposed allega...
BAD NEIGHBOURS S2 E1 | Smells
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Everybody needs good neighbours, but what do you do if yours are big stinkers? In the first of our six-part series, The Law Report sniffs out the nei...
The end of non-compete clauses? Bad Neighbours: smells
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Should an employer be able to restrict your future work options?When you are fighting with your neighbour over things like fences, cameras or cars, w...
Tikanga: Incorporating Māori concepts in NZ common law
30 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Justice Joe Willams, the first Māori member of NZ's Supreme Court, speaks to Damien Carrick about how courts in his country are adopting First Natio...
Jury selection in Trump's 'hush money' trial; monitoring dangerous offenders after release from prison
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Donald Trump's high profile criminal trial gets underway in New York. And meet the tough former prosecutor who became responsible for monitoring the ...
Judge rules, on balance of probabilities, Lehrmann raped Higgins
16 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
In a high-profile defamation case, justice Michael Lee found that former political staffer Bruce Lehrmann, on the balance of probabilities, raped his...
Do Queensland's criminal defence laws need to be reformed?
09 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
If someone is charged with a violent crime like murder or assault, what defences can they argue? That depends on what part of Australia you live in.T...
Two hundred years of the NSW Supreme Court
02 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Next month, the Supreme Court of New South Wales marks its 200th birthday. A new book, Constant Guardian: Changing Times, tells the history of the co...
Movements in work safety: Victoria's first industrial manslaughter prosecutions and feedback on OH&S laws
26 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Law Report makes the law accessible.
Protecting IP rights: a guide for divorcees and inventors
19 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Dividing up intellectual property rights in a divorce settlement. And the case of a mining equipment company that legally can't stop competitors from...
"Trapped in silence": The campaign to end NDA misuse
12 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The global campaign to end the misuse of non-disclosure agreements. And record damages awarded in a sexual harassment case make it clear courts won't...
Non-disclosure agreements in sexual harassment cases
05 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How are non-disclosure agreements used in the settlement of sexual harassment claims? Damien Carrick speaks to the co-authors of a new study, "Let's ...
Do we have healthy industry competition in Australia?
27 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Do we have healthy industry competition in Australia? Do we have the right regulatory framework? Damien Carrick speaks to the chairwoman of the Austr...
Julian Assange: Will Britain's High Court approve new appeal against US extradition?
20 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lawyers for Julian Assange will appear in Britain's High Court this week in what could be the final attempt to stop the WikiLeaks founder from being ...
Mother of US school shooter found guilty of manslaughter; the death penalty in China
13 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Should a parent be held legally responsible for the crimes of their child? And Australian writer and academic Yang Hengjun is given a suspended death...
Derek Bromley to make new parole bid 40 years after murder conviction
06 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
After 40 years in jail — a new attempt to secure parole for the man said to be Australia's longest-serving Indigenous prisoner. Warning: this episo...
ICJ issues interim measures in Israel genocide case; UK faces legal challenge over Northern Ireland amnesty law
30 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Law Report makes the law accessible.
South Africa's genocide case against Israel at the ICJ
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The International Court of Justice has held the first public hearings in South Africa's genocide case against Israel. And there's concern over the N...
High tech solutions to age-old crime of livestock theft
16 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
'Facial recognition for cows', GPS animal tags and DNA testing represent some of the technology being developed to help investigate and solve livesto...
Justice, but not in my language: Aboriginal interpreter shortage in NT courts
09 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Lawyers in the Northern Territory say the shortage of Indigenous interpreters has become so critical that it's significantly contributing to the over...
Could sending an emoji land you in legal trouble?
02 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Think twice before you fire off that lighthearted emoji – there could be serious legal consequences. This episode first aired in August 2023.
Singing to the Sea
26 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One year has passed since the Federal Court confirmed native title over more than 40,000 square kilometres of sea country in the Torres Strait region...
'Sovereign citizens' in the courts
19 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We've all heard of 'sovereign citizens', a term referring to people who don't believe the law applies to them. But how much do we know about this gro...
Avoiding the legal risks of office Christmas parties
12 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
After a long Covid hiatus the office Christmas party is back with a vengeance. We all want to enjoy ourselves, but also have to be mindful of the ris...
Grant Donaldson SC on balancing open justice and national security
05 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The outgoing Independent National Security Legislation Monitor's final report recommends an overhaul of legislation that Grant Donaldson says can be ...
Battle of the burger chains; hundreds sentenced in Italy mafia trial
28 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hungry Jacks has won a legal fight against McDonalds over the use of its Big Jack and Mega Jack trademarks. And a court in Italy has handed prison s...
Jurors who do their own research; prosecuting violence in sport
21 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If a juror does their own research in a trial, does that mean that any guilty verdict reached by the jury is dangerous and should be quashed? And a l...
Why did the High Court rule indefinite immigration detention unlawful?
14 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In an historic decision, the High Court has ruled that indefinite immigration detention is unlawful. And could convicted terrorist Abdul Nacer Benbri...
Naming sexual assault suspects in the media; surveillance in the workplace
07 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When should the identity of an accused facing sexual assault charges be named in the media? And how closely can your employer monitor you?
Judicial capacity building in the Pacific
31 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What are the unique challenges facing justice systems in the Pacific region?
Chief Justice Susan Kiefel speaks to the Law Report
24 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In a wide-ranging interview, the outgoing High Court Chief Justice Susan Kiefel speaks to Damien Carrick about her unlikely journey to the top judici...
Voice referendum aftermath; Queensland introduces legislation to criminalise coercive control
17 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What can Australia learn from the outcome of the Voice referendum? And Queensland's government has introduced legislation to make coercive control a ...
Constitutional implications of Indigenous Voice proposal; could pill testing save lives?
10 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the lead-up to the referendum vote, the Law Report discusses the constitutional implications of the proposal for an Indigenous Voice to parliamen...
Disability royal commission delivers findings; 'Fake nurse' jailed in Australian legal first
03 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What recommendations does the Royal Commission into Violence, Abuse, Neglect and Exploitation of People with Disability make in its final report to t...
Victorian nurse becomes first voluntary assisted dying patient to donate organs
26 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time in Australia, a patient who chose to undergo voluntary assisted dying has donated their organs for transplant. So, how did the str...
'Voices' to parliament in Scandinavia
19 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Law Report makes the law accessible.
The Voice and how Indigenous knowledge can help close the gap
12 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A Voice to parliament could see Indigenous knowledge and holistic approaches used to help close the gap. We hear from Indigenous leaders with differ...
Judge liable for wrongful imprisonment and a Palawa lawyer's case for No
05 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Can you sue your Judge? "Mr Stradford", a father of two, has been awarded $300,000 in damages in recognition of the significant distress he exper...
New legal service for whistleblowers and Australia’s worst case of malicious prosecution
29 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you knew that something illegal, dangerous, negligent or corrupt was happening in your workplace – what would you do? Who would you turn to for ...
ACT leads the way in assisting vulnerable people in court
22 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In recent years, a number of jurisdictions around Australia have introduced Vulnerable Witness Intermediary Services. These services assist complaina...
Community conversations on the Voice referendum; the Sofronoff inquiry leak
15 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Can grass roots community meetings help build support for the Indigenous Voice referendum in Far North Queensland? And the ACT government is conside...
Could sending an emoji land you in legal trouble?
08 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Think twice before you fire off that lighthearted emoji – there could be serious legal consequences.
02/ Justice, but not in my language
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Hundreds of thousands of Australian residents, a figure now approaching one million, don't speak English well, or at all. The growing demand for inte...
01/ Justice, but not in my language
25 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Lawyers in the Northern Territory say the shortage in Indigenous interpreters has become so critical that it's contributing to the vast over-represen...
Singing to the sea
18 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This episode revisits the historic Federal Court decision to confirm native title over more than 40,000 square kilometres of sea country in the Torre...
'Tsunami of suffering': Robodebt royal commission findings explained
11 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Robodebt royal commission has made damning findings about government ministers and public servants who created and administered the automated deb...
National Anti-Corruption Commission begins investigations; juror misconceptions in sexual assault trials
04 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The National Anti-Corruption Commission commences operation this week. And a New Zealand researcher investigates how jurors respond to evidence in s...
Kids' book points refugee mums to legal help
27 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When refugees arrive in Australia, they face huge challenges. So, how do they access the support they need? Perhaps counterintuitively, a newly launc...
Does Australia need a Criminal Cases Review Commission?
20 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Why did it take the justice system 20 years to work out that Kathleen Folbigg was wrongly convicted over the deaths of her four infant children? Does...
US lawyer faces sanctions over ChatGPT use; what family courts can do for Indigenous Australians
13 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A New York Judge is considering what sanctions to impose on a lawyer who spectacularly misused ChatGPT. And Australia's only Indigenous federal judge...
Ben Roberts Smith loses defamation case, Kathleen Folbigg released from prison
06 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A judge has thrown out the defamation action brought by Ben Roberts Smith one of Australia’s most decorated soldiers against three newspapers. Th...
PwC tax leaks scandal; overcoming obstacles for deaf & blind jurors
30 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The deepening crisis engulfing accounting giant PwC – is this a case of a few bad apples or is there a deeper structural problem? And the Victor...
How does a judge know if an offender is truly sorry?
23 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
When calculating a sentence, a judge weighs up many considerations, including remorse. But is it really possible to determine if an offender is genui...
'Green transition', mining & Indigenous rights
16 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In the race to decarbonise the economy, is there a risk of undermining the rights of Indigenous people? Mining companies Rio Tinto and BHP are propo...
Compensation for sporting injuries; changes to Centrelink relationship assessments
09 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Can the organisers of a sporting event be held liable for a participant's injuries? And new rules allow Centrelink staff to consider evidence of dome...
'Sovereign citizens' in the courts
02 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
We've all heard of 'sovereign citizens', a term referring to people who don't believe the law applies to them. But how much do we know about this g...
Murdoch, Dominion & Crikey; the secret trial of 'Witness J'
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Is there a connection between the Fox News defamation settlement with US voting technology company Dominion and Lachlan Murdoch's withdrawal of leg...
Court ruling raises questions about NSW Covid fines; What is the 'dark fleet'?
18 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
What happens to tens of thousands of COVID-related fines in NSW after a Supreme Court ruling raised questions about their validity? How dangerous are...
ACT law to ban non-urgent surgery for intersex children; cryptocurrency in crime
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The ACT Legislative Assembly is considering a draft law to protect intersex children from undergoing deferrable and non-urgent medical treatments. ...
WA bikies convicted for displaying club tattoos
04 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
In a legal first, a court in Western Australia has convicted three members of an outlaw motorcycle gang for displaying their club tattoos in public....
Indigenous Voice: Justice Kenneth Hayne speaks to the Law Report
28 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Former High Court judge Kenneth Hayne, a member of the Constitutional Expert Panel, speaks to the Law Report about the Federal Government's proposed...
SAS Veteran charged with war crimes: protestor prison sentence quashed: Botox alternative in High Court
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
An SAS veteran has been charged with the war-crime of murder under Australian law. A NSW judge has quashed the prison sentence of a protestor, a...
High Court overturns marijuana house murder convictions; tax help for prisoners
14 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The High Court has overturned the murder convictions of four men found guilty of killing a man in an Adelaide cannabis grow house. And, if a prisoner...
Duggan faces 'unusual' extradition charges; Australian regulators target corporate 'greenwashing'
07 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Lawyers for former US marine Daniel Duggan have lodged a complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee citing 'degrading' detention conditions as his ex...
US ruling to ban caste discrimination; UN expert warns against gay conversion practices
28 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The US city of Seattle has banned caste-based discrimination and there are calls for Australia to legislate similar protections. And, the UN independ...
High tech solutions to age-old crime of livestock theft
21 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
'Facial recognition for cows', GPS animal tags and DNA testing represent some of the technology being developed to help investigate and solve livesto...
Visa cancellations & deportation
14 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Could changes to visa cancellation policies under section 501 of the Migration Act signal a softening of Australia's stand on deportation on characte...
Victoria commits to overhauling strict bail laws
07 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
A Victorian coroner has described the treatment of an Indigenous woman in prison as inhumane and her death preventable. Arrested on the suspicion of ...
Surprising Decisions About Legal Liability in Car Accidents
31 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If you are responsible for a motor vehicle accident, just how far does your legal liability extend? A court decision could upend the assumption that...
Why was the AAT abolished? The dangers of witnessing wills remotely
24 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Federal Administrative Appeals Tribunal or AAT is to be axed, why and what will replace it?Remote signing of Wills was introduced as a COVID emer...
Judicial review to examine 'Croatian six' convictions
17 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The New South Wales Supreme Court has ordered a judicial review in the convictions of the so-called 'Croatian Six'. Justice Robertson Wright said the...
Who should be held legally liable for accidents involving e-scooters?
10 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Electric scooters are becoming an increasingly popular form of transport, but there is a confusing mosaic of laws that regulate their use across Aust...
Can machines invent and animals create?
03 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Should patents be granted to Artificial Intelligence algorithms? Should machines have copyright over the art works they generate? What about animals?...
Gender diversity on the bench
27 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the second of a two-part series, the Law Report speaks with members of the International Association of Women Judges in several countries. They ex...
How Afghan women judges found safety in Australia
20 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the first of a two-part series on women judges, the Law Report focuses on the experience of judge Shakila Abawi Shigarf, who was forced to flee Af...
Singing to the sea
13 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The Federal Court has confirmed native title over more than 40,000 square kilometres of sea country in the Torres Strait region. For the first time ...
BAD NEIGHBOURS S1 E4 | overshadowing solar panels
07 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
In the final part of a special for the Law Report we dig through recent cases with legal experts to find out what you can do when the neighbours want...
Data breaches and the Privacy Act; what are your rights when it comes to your home's access to sunlight?
06 Dec 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Medibank is the second high-profile company to be investigated by the Commonwealth privacy regulator over large-scale data breaches in recent months....
BAD NEIGHBOURS S1 E3 | Pesky pets
30 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When you are fighting with your neighbour over things like noise, trees or pets, whose side is the law on?In the third of a four-part special for the...
Youth in detention; what are your rights when it comes to pets in apartments?
29 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Five years on, has the NT royal commission into youth detention achieved what it set out to do? Why do some children commit crime? Research reveals c...
BAD NEIGHBOURS S1 E2 | Troublesome trees
23 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
When you are fighting with your neighbour over things like noise, trees or pets, whose side is the law on?
Big banks settle insurance class actions; what are your rights in neighbour disputes over trees?
22 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Hundreds of thousands of customers could be eligible to claim compensation after three of Australia's biggest banks – the Commonwealth Bank, ANZ a...
BAD NEIGHBOURS S1 E1 | Noisy neighbours
16 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
We dig through recent cases with legal experts to find out when it comes to noisy neighbours who are in the right.
NSW coronial reform; what are your rights when it comes to noisy neighbours?
15 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The New South Wales government has offered a lukewarm response to a parliamentary committee report that calls for an overhaul of the state's coronial...
Inside Thomas Embling Hospital, a forensic health facility
08 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
For the first time a journalist is allowed to record in the Thomas Embling Hospital, Melbourne's forensic healthcare facility. Meet therapists, the p...
'Juror misconduct' ends parliament rape trial; 'proper inquiry' in road accidents
01 Nov 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Why did the actions of one juror lead to a mistrial for Bruce Lehrmann? And the case of a Brisbane motorbike accident victim who failed to secure com...
UN experts suspend detention visits; and the use of secret evidence in court
25 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The head of a team of United Nations torture experts speaks exclusively to the Law Report about the decision to suspend inspections of detention fac...
UN calls for unlimited access for team inspecting detention facilities
18 Oct 2022
Contributed by Lukas
The UN is urging Australian governments to offer unlimited access to UN inspectors visiting prisons and other detention facilities around the countr...