Law Report

What impact does 'fake news' have on public discourse, democracy and the justice system? And how can governments and journalists meet the challenge? A former judge, a journalist turned researcher and a political strategist shine a light on democracy in the age of misinformation and disinformation. Listen to a panel discussion moderated by the Law Report's Damien Carrick in Melbourne this month, or...

When OpenAI agents gained unauthorised access to the Medicare data portal, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was extremely concerned about the privacy breach. But are there any legal consequences? Could OpenAI be prosecuted for the hack? Could it be liable in a civil action? As this technology develops at breakneck speed, we discuss what guardrails are necessary to keep people and...

Concerns over privacy breaches linked to smart glasses are seeing authorities around Australia move to restrict where they can be used. Western Australia has announced a complete ban in public schools, which takes effect next month. Local councils are also taking action, with the City of Randwick in Sydney investigating whether it can prohibit smart glasses at public beaches. And the Federal Gover...

The Victorian government has pledged to implement a raft of reforms around domestic and family violence if it is re-elected in November. One promise is to introduce a new manslaughter offence in cases where a person is found to have taken their own life due to family violence. So, is it currently possible to convict a person of murder or manslaughter if they goad or encourage their partner to die...

A Sydney computing academic made headlines when he won a landmark case at the Fair Work Commission by relying entirely on artificial intelligence. The Law Report explores concerns over the rapid rise in the use of AI by self-represented litigants in employment law disputes.

An elderly man goes into respite care and meets a nurse he's never known before.  Within days she's bought him a will kit and had a document drawn up that leaves everything to her.  He dies weeks later. Was that his clear settled wish, or something else entirely? Proving the difference is where it gets hard. And messy. When it comes to wills, how big an issue are fraud and undue influence? And wha...

A frozen fish packet. An unsent text. A tractor fender. Courts have accepted all of these as valid wills. You want to write a will and make sure that your assets go to those who you think deserve your generosity. So, how can you make sure the will is binding? Does it need to be a formal document, printed out and signed with a pen? Or can a valid will be a word document, an email or text message? C...

You work the family farm your whole life, then it's left to someone else. When drafting a will, the law says you don't have to be fair or equal in deciding who will receive your estate. So, after you pass away, can disgruntled family members or friends challenge your will in the courts? Conflicts over inheritance arise in many families but are particularly fraught and complex in farming families....

If a relative asks you to be the executor of their will, should you accept? What can go wrong and what do you need to know before you agree to take on the role? When disputes arise, executors are the ones left to clean up the mess, often navigating difficult family dynamics. And saying yes to being an executor can make you personally liable for someone else's debts. Sydney lawyer Donal Griffin exp...

The criminal trial of former radio broadcaster Alan Jones has begun in the Local Court in Sydney.

The Victorian parliament has published a groundbreaking inquiry into the recruitment methods and impacts of cults and organised fringe groups. Among the inquiry's recommendations are world-first laws to criminalise coercive control behaviours by groups. 

It's 150 years since the birth of William Ah Ket, Australia's first lawyer of Chinese descent. He was involved in two significant legal victories that kicked back against laws that discriminated against Asian Australians in the early 20th century. The Law Report explores the life and career of this remarkable Australian, his achievements and how his legacy resonates today.

This year marks 50 years of the Family Law Act – legislation that revolutionised the way Australians divorce. Two former family law judges sit down with Damien Carrick to revisit a time before no-fault divorce, when unhappy spouses often employed private detectives to prove adultery.

What is it like to have the responsibility of deciding if a violent offender should be released from prison and allowed back into the community? 

In a legal first, the Federal Court has handed down a sexual harassment decision under protections recently introduced to the Fair Work Act.

If a child is injured by tear gas in a youth detention centre, are the authorities liable? And can a protester injured by police during a demonstration seek damages? 

The Court of Appeal in London ruled that it was open to Britain's home secretary to designate the Palestine Action protest group as a terrorist organisation.

The Law Report looks at the Victorian government plans to ensure health and counselling information is not used in court without the consent of victim survivors, who will also be given the choice to pre-record their evidence ahead of trial.

Artificial intelligence is revolutionising all parts of the economy and our institutions — corporate boardrooms and the courts are not immune.

A court has found that a South Australian farmer was responsible for setting fire to a pile of vegetation that was left smouldering and reignited six months later, causing a devastating bushfire.

There's been a wave of defamation suits from within the Trump administration targeting the US news media. Is it legitimate litigation or lawfare?

In a case that's transfixed the US, a woman who wrote a children's book about grief following her husband's death has been sentenced to life in prison for his murder.

Imagine you are a victim of crime and need therapy to help deal with a traumatic memory. Would you go ahead if it meant that your case might not be prosecuted because the treatment could deem your evidence unreliable or inadmissible in court?

There are no political donation laws in Victoria following a High Court decision that overturned legislation in place for nearly a decade.

The Law Report speaks to victims who are calling for the banking giant to compensate them, and asks, how effective are Australian laws in dealing with sophisticated scams?