Law Report

Can art change lives? Confined 16 is an exhibition in Melbourne of First Nations artists who picked up the paint brush while they were in prison. 

The return of high-profile whistleblowing cases to court has renewed calls for legislative reform in Australia to better protect, provide oversight and support to, those who expose wrongdoing in the public and private sectors.

A Victorian woman is on trial accused of poisoning her lunch guests by serving them a meal laced with death cap mushrooms. And a Tasmanian couple banned from taking their alpaca into a supermarket is accusing the store of disability discrimination.

Does pill testing save lives? Damien Carrick visits a pop-up service at a Melbourne music event where substances are checked, and staff talk to partygoers about reducing risk when using drugs. 

In 2016, Queensland was the first Australian jurisdiction create a stand-alone offence of non-fatal strangulation. Since then, every other state and territory has followed its lead - most recently Victoria. Almost a decade on, the Queensland Law Reform Commission is conducting an inquiry into the offence. 

What's behind the Labor Party's overwhelming election victory? And can AI-based technology be used to discriminate against job applicants?

Two recent court decisions could help shape the debate, and perhaps the law, on when children can be given puberty blockers and cross-sex hormone therapy.

The Hon. Debbie Mortimer , Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia, joins Damien Carrick in a conversation about live streaming court cases, suppression orders and access to court documents.

A Queensland man convicted of murder has failed to convince the High Court to strike out laws that were used to deny him parole for refusing to cooperate with authorities searching for one of his victims. And the fate of endangered forest glider possums could be a little safer following a ruling that allows a community environmental group to prosecute the Forestry Corporation of New South Wales.

U.S President Trump's announcement of reciprocal tariffs has sent shockwaves through the world economy, but are these liberation day tariffs constitutional? Meanwhile, in the federal budget, the government included a surprise announcement that it will ban certain non-compete clauses. What will this mean for small businesses as well as low wage employees?

The Trump administration's clashes with the US judicial system are escalating, and two federal judges are in the eye of the storm.

An emoji, a protest placard and a tweet by a soccer fan have all led to criminal charges in Britain. Were the prosecutions appropriate? 

How can we improve the experience of survivors of sexual assault in the legal system? The Australian Law Reform Commission has released the findings of a major inquiry into justice responses to sexual violence. 

The federal opposition has vowed to roll back remote work entitlements for public servants if it wins the next election — a policy the Labor government says was stolen from US president Donald Trump. Meanwhile, the Fair Work Commission has ruled in favour of a dad who wanted an extra "work from home" day.

What steps does a mentally ill offender have to take to convince authorities they no longer pose a risk to the community or to themselves? And the Federal Court has heard closing arguments in the high-profile employment law dispute between freelance journalist Antoinette Lattouf and the ABC.

To what extent should police be allowed to hack into phones, computers and encrypted communication to counter online crime? And new research says private practitioners are abandoning Legal Aid work.

The High Court has ruled that all judges have immunity from civil action over decisions handed down in court. And how did a Sydney baby food company score a rare legal win against global supermarket giant Aldi?

Australia's new hate crime laws introduce mandatory sentencing for convictions over public displays of hate symbols and terror-related crimes. And prosecutors drop a murder charge against a woman who argued she was asleep when she fatally stabbed her husband.

Members of a fringe religious group in Queensland have been found guilty of manslaughter following the death of a child. And can you sue your employer if disciplinary processes at work cause your mental health to deteriorate? 

The Kimberley Land Council is being approached by several native title groups keen to follow in the footsteps of Western Australia's Karajarri people, who have achieved a legal first.

The Law Report looks at the legal fallout from the devastating fires across Los Angeles. And who can be held liable for catastrophic bushfire damage in Australia?

When there's a dispute over the medical treatment of a gravely sick child, who gets the ultimate say?

How are NDAs used by lawyers in the settlement of sexual harassment claims? 

This year, the Supreme Court of New South Wales celebrated its 200th birthday.

Justice Joe Willams, the first Māori member of New Zealand's Supreme Court, speaks to the Law Report about how First Nations concepts are being adopted into the common law.