Law Report - Full program podcast ABC Podcasts

Victoria has just been declared a state of disaster. What powers does this confer? And the Full Federal Court has unanimously upheld an earlier decision of the Federal Circuit Court which awarded $170,000 in damages to Catherine Hill.

Ms Hill was a junior lawyer who was sexually harassed by her employer, Owen Hughes, a Sole Practitioner based in northern NSW.

Before the next Queensland election, state parliament will vote on The Torres Strait Islander Traditional Child Rearing Practice Bill. If passed, the legislation will officially recognise the adoption practices of Torres Strait Islanders.
This ground breaking bill was introduced into the Queensland Parliament by the first Torres Strait Islander member of parliament, Cynthia Lui.

The NSW Court of Appeal found that the killing of a woman by her de facto husband at home was a workplace death and her family are entitled to workers compensation.

This decision was handed down in March, just at the time when millions began working from home due to the Covid-19 pandemic. So what are the implications of this case for workers and their employers?

If you or anyone you know is affected by family violence there is help available at 1800 RESPECT 1800 737 732

Lifeline on 13 11 14 safe steps on 1800 015 188 Kids Helpline on 1800 551 800 MensLine Australia on 1300 789 978

Hong Kong authorities warned voters choosing pro-democracy candidates in the primaries ahead of September elections that they could fall foul of new National Security legislation. A prominent former barrister says the new laws are designed to confuse.

And, the Bernard Collaery trial. How should Australia's court system balance open justice with keeping state secrets?

A voice from the towers in the Melbourne lockdown, and major book publishers sue the online library, Internet Archive, for breach of copyright.

The Covid-19 crisis has transformed our family law courts. In response to a surge in disputes over parenting plans, the Family Law Courts created a Covid-19 List to hear urgent cases using Microsoft Teams. And this is not an isolated example, right now most hearings are taking place in a virtual space rather than in a bricks and mortar courtroom. So will these new virtual courts stay with us in a post-pandemic future?

And if you're in an abusive situation, or know someone who is, call 1-800 RESPECT. That's 1-800 737 732. If it's an emergency, call 000.