Law Report ABC listen

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 Nations concepts in the common law. 

Donald Trump's high profile criminal trial gets underway in New York. And meet the tough former prosecutor who became responsible for monitoring the reintegration of Victoria's most dangerous criminals. 

In a high-profile defamation case, justice Michael Lee found that former political staffer Bruce Lehrmann, on the balance of probabilities, raped his then colleague Brittany Higgins inside Parliament House in 2019.

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.The Queensland Law Reform Commission is conducting a review of the criminal defences which operate in that state – some of them very controversial. Warning: this episode contains descriptions of violence, including murder, assault and domestic violence.

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 court. In his first extensive interview since his appointment in 2022, NSW Chief Justice Andrew Bell tells Damien Carrick about some of the significant trials discussed in the book. 

The Law Report makes the law accessible.