- Headnote
- Posts
- Dyson Heydon associate speaks out
Dyson Heydon associate speaks out
Former Dyson Heydon associate Rachael Patterson Collins writes article titled "I was among this disgraced judge’s victims. Attempts to honour him are an insult", Bret Walker SC Dural caravan inquiry advice made public.
Daily wrap
“[The staffers] also claimed the powers of arrest under the 124-year-old law, which have never been used, were unconstitutional. Mr Franklin sought legal advice from eminent barrister Bret Walker SC, who gave an opinion rejecting these arguments, prompting the staffers to change their minds.”
Silk fined over ‘sexual touching’ at law firm Christmas party [Daily Telegraph paywall]
A respected silk who grabbed a female solicitor’s backside at a law firm Christmas party has been fined and ordered to undergo counselling focusing on respecting women and excessive alcohol use.
Australia's prisoner numbers at all-time high and changing bail laws playing a part - ABC News
Judge tells Erin Patterson jurors not to find her guilty just because she lied - ABC News
The whistleblower, her $30m claim and the affair rumour she didn’t think was true [The Australian paywall]
Super Retail has for the first time revealed how it will defend toxic workplace allegations, claiming a key whistleblower was herself accused of bullying and dismissed rumours of an affair she later relied on for a potential $30m claim.
Like our newsletter?
Chances are, someone you know will too.
Editor’s picks
I was among this disgraced judge’s victims. Attempts to honour him are an insult - Rachael Patterson Collins [SMH paywall]
The former High Court judge Dyson Heydon is being rehabilitated in some parts of the legal profession. It’s galling.
Pseudolaw Behind the Judgments: The Hidden Impact on the Administration of Justice
Media attention, scholarship and case law on pseudolaw has grown significantly over the last 5 years. However, the scale of the issue remains unclear, relying largely on anecdote and imperfect proxies. This article argues that to understand the scale and impact of the phenomenon, it is necessary to go beyond publicly available documents, like published judgments, and to hear from the judicial officers and administrators dealing with it on a daily basis. The article presents recent empirical data on interviews with judicial officers and staff in South Australia to understand the impact and prevalence of pseudolaw. It highlights the widespread ways that pseudolaw impacts the good administration of justice.
Expert Witness Symposium 2025 - Hilton, Sydney - 28 August 2025 - ExpertsDirect
Speakers include: • The Hon. James Allsop AC – Chief Justice, Federal Court of Australia • The Hon. Justice Needham – Judge, Federal Court of Australia • Mary Walker OAM – Barrister, Arbitrator & Mediator • Sue Chrysanthou SC – Senior Counsel, 153 Phillip Barristers
Can education defeat populism? - Anne Twomey - YouTube
This video discusses the traits of populist leaders, including creating antagonism between 'the people' and 'elites' and undermining the legitimacy of the institutions of government that place checks on executive power. It describes how populists defy or reject the rule of law and the separation of powers, and pave the path towards autocracy and oppression.
It addresses the importance of education about the Constitution and the system of governance as a means of defeating the rise of populism. Knowledge is power, but the people have been ill-served by the education system in gaining the knowledge they need to participate fully and effectively in the system of governance.
We Don’t Talk About Leonard: The Man Behind the Right’s Supreme Court Supermajority — ProPublica
To be very clear, the open offer made in July 2024 to settle the case by @antoinette_news was :
1. An apology;
2. Payment of $85k compensation:
3. Providing 5 shifts on radio.The ABC rejected it, apparently because it wants to continue to blacklist @antoinette_news .
— Josh Bornstein (@JoshBBornstein)
11:26 PM • Jun 25, 2025
NT Coroner Elisabeth Armitage is scheduled to hand down her findings into the death of Kumanjayi Walker on July 7 in Yuendumu at 10:45am.
— NT Courts (@CourtsinNT)
3:17 AM • Jun 27, 2025
Got feedback or suggestions? Shoot us a message [email protected]