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17 ex tempore decisions in a day
Jackman J (FCA) delivers 17 ex tempore decisions in one day in proceedings brought by Sophia McGinn, the Honourable Peter Johnson SC writes article titled "Sovereign citizens: ideology, impacts and judicial responses".
Daily wrap
Sexual assault survivors call for pre-recorded testimony laws to be expanded - ABC News
NT 'is winning the race to the bottom' as Australia cracks down on youth crime
Following the release of coronial findings into the police shooting of Kumanjayi Walker, the head of Australia’s national Aboriginal legal service says the NT is "winning the race to the bottom" with its youth justice reforms.
Police shooting of Kumanjayi Walker shows Australia needs 'comprehensive reform', UN says - ABC News
Court paves way for demolition of Sydney waterfront mansion [SMH paywall]
Two new homes will be constructed on the site of the 1880s property after the council lost an appeal.
GM loses bid to strike out Holden transmission defects class action | Lawyerly [paywall]
Court win for ASIC but Mayfair 101 boss beats some claims [The Australian paywall]
The Federal Court has found James Mawhinney was involved in legal breaches linked to misleading investment products but the Mayfair 101 director did score some wins.
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For Jackman J’s 17 ex tempore decisions in proceedings brought by Sophia McGinn (all delivered on 3 July 2025, ranging from 1 - 40 paragraphs) see [2025] FCA 779 - [2025] FCA 795 (Austlii - Federal Court of Australia - 2025 Decisions)
Plenty of other great articles have been added to the latest edition of the Judicial Commission of NSW’s Handbook for Judicial Officers - new articles listed here.
Wilkinson v Bonnici - NSW Caselaw
[24] In light of Mr Yazdani's submissions, I sought to clarify whether he was seriously challenging Mr Martin's assessment of his ability to continue with the matter. I asked whether the tenor of Mr Yazdani's submission was that counsel should simply “soldier on”. He confirmed that that was the tenor of his submission…
[34] Stoicism might in some quarters be an expected or commendable quality. However, the Court does not require counsel to be especially stoic nor necessarily “soldier on” if they have reached a considered and informed assessment that they are unable to effectively prepare and conduct a hearing.
[35] In this case, counsel, a highly experienced legal practitioner, has solemnly informed the Court that, having contracted the RSV virus and with some indication from his doctor that he might expect to be “quite unwell for at least 3-4 days”, in his assessment the effect of the virus on him is such that he cannot properly discharge his duties in preparing for and conducting a hearing due to imminently commence. In the exigent circumstances, I do not propose to “second-guess” his assessment of his inability to discharge his duties but rather to act upon his solemn statement to the Court as one of the matters to be weighed in determining whether to vacate the hearing or not.
The Secret Footage - The Trial of Erin Patterson - Apple Podcasts
In this episode Caroline and Wayne have exclusive CCTV footage of Erin Patterson visiting a tip - within half an hour of her lunch guests leaving her house. The video has never been seen before and this tip visit was never disclosed to the jury. So what exactly was she getting rid of?
How Erin Patterson’s legal team faced a double-edged sword [The Australian paywall]
As global headlines cast Erin Patterson as an evil Shakespearean witch who murdered her relatives, I am left with a sense of unease about just how accurate that is.
Why police can’t prove children like Harry committed serious crimes [SMH paywall]
Half of all court cases involving children aged between 10 and 13 end with all charges withdrawn.
Urinetown: The Musical — BottledSnail Productions
BottledSnail announces major mainstage musical production “Urinetown” for March 2026, and calls for production team members. BottledSnail Productions Inc. is a not-for-profit incorporated association and registered charity run by and for legal professionals.
Batman's Treaty - Why did it fail? - Anne Twomey - YouTube
This video is about the purported treaties negotiated in 1803 by John Batman with Aboriginal people - the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin nation - for land in the area of Melbourne, Australia.
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