Lehrmann defamation judgment to be delivered on 4 April 2024

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Daily wrap  

• Bruce Lehrmann defamation trial: verdict to be handed down on 4 April | Australia news | The Guardian
   

  • A rape allegation and a media storm: a timeline of how the Bruce Lehrmann defamation case unfolded | Australian media | The Guardian
     

• India's former high commissioner to Australia must pay penalty to domestic worker who earned less than $10 a day for a year's work - ABC News
   

  • a copy of Raper J’s judgment found here - Shergill v Singh (No 2) [2024] FCA 261
     

• Focus on youth crime may be influencing bail decisions for children, Victorian judge says | Victoria | The Guardian
   

• ‘A betrayal’: Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service condemns children’s bail law reversal | Victoria | The Guardian
   

• The Juice Media told to censor satirical video with image of Tasmanian premier or face heavy penalties | Tasmanian election 2024 | The Guardian
   

• Almost 1,700 illegally sacked Qantas workers would have been retrenched following year, court hears | Qantas | The Guardian
   

• Prosecutors drop element of ‘prejudicing Australia’s national security’ in charge against Alexander Csergo | Australia news | The Guardian
   

• Ombudsman subject to corruption probe over lavish travel quits plum international governance gig
   

• Rich-list Wu family allegedly ‘misled’ the taxman [The Australian paywall]

  The rich-list Wu family has been accused of misleading the Australian Taxation Office when they sold their vitamins company Nature’s Care in 2018.
   

  • a copy of Thawley J’s judgment found here - Deputy Commissioner of Taxation v Wu [2024] FCA 250
     

Editor’s picks

• High Court of Australia Annual Report 2022-23
   

  • "All civil and criminal appeals decided by the Full Court in 2022–23 were decided within six months of the hearing of argument, with 44 per cent decided within three months of the hearing".
     

  • “Aspects of the Court’s audio-visual systems have come to the end of their useful life. This has started to impact on the Court, with some interruptions to hearings, and limitations on the Court’s capacity to conduct hearings outside of its Canberra courtrooms, or to conduct concurrent hearings in Canberra. It is unfortunate that Australia’s apex court lags behind other international, federal, state and territory courts in terms of its technological capability and basic functionality for courtrooms and hearings. The Court has approached successive Governments for assistance in resolving these issues. It is hoped that government will be able to address this funding issue in the future.”
     

• Is the civil trial system past its use-by date? - The Honourable Geoffrey Lance Davies AO - YouTube
   

• The Administrative Review Tribunal Bill: A missed opportunity for ending migration exceptionalism and creating a unified approach for administrative review — Australian Public Law
   

• From housing commission flats to law firm CEO [AFR paywall]

  Long-term head of HWL Ebsworth, Juan Martinez, built the nation’s largest legal partnership on the back of hard lessons from a harsh childhood.
   

• Juan Martinez lieutenant Russell Mailler tipped to lead HWL Ebsworth [AFR paywall]
   

• Complicity or Complexity: Griffith and Queensland’s Violent Frontier - The Hon Justice Peter Applegarth - Hearsay
   

• Why are religious discrimination laws back in the news? And where did they come from in the first place? Dr Luke Beck 
   

• Livestream - Transport Workers' Union of Australia v Qantas Airways Limited - YouTube - from 9:30am AEDT

• Justice Charlesworth will conduct a Judgment hearing in the matter of REX LYALL PATRICK v ATTORNEY-GENERAL OF THE COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA today at 11:00am AEDT. Livestream available here.
   

• Secretary, Department of Communities and Justice v Stewart - NSW Caselaw

  • Leeming JA at [3] “Following receipt of Stern JA’s reasons in draft, I was persuaded by the conclusion she had reached, but following receipt of Griffiths AJA’s reasons in draft, I found it necessary to review the entirety of the appeal. I am most grateful to both of their Honours, because their divergent approaches have assisted me to identify which of the mass of arguments assembled in favour of each competing construction carry the greatest weight.”

• REYNOLDS -v- WA POLICE [2024] WASC 67 (13 March 2024)

  • “HER HONOUR: Remain standing, please. Are you Kellan Reynolds?

    ACCUSED: I'm known to contract under that name.

    HER HONOUR: Mr Reynolds, if you are Mr Reynolds, you and I have played this ridiculous game before. If you are not going to answer appropriately to the court, I cannot take your appearance as given. You will be – whoever you will be asked to step back and I will issue an arrest warrant for that person's arrest. I will ask you once more.

    ACCUSED: If you want to arrest that person, ma'am, I will put the person right here for you to arrest.

    HER HONOUR: I will ask you once more. Are you Kellan Reynolds?

    ACCUSED: No. I am the occupant of the office of executor for Kellan John Reynold's estate.

    HER HONOUR: Please remove yourself from the bar table. Please remove yourself from the bar table.

    ACCUSED: You're removing the occupant of the of the office of executor for the Kellan John Reynolds estate.”
     

• Legal profession’s most powerful among members of London’s men-only Garrick Club | Judiciary | The Guardian [UK]
   

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