Law Report

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.

Research published earlier this year examines the impact of heavy workloads on the wellbeing of judicial officers and the quality of justice delivered.

Veteran crime reporter John Silvester talks to Damien Carrick about some of the big developments in the criminal justice space in recent weeks.

It's the Australian trial verdict that attracted worldwide attention. 

Tasmanian Supreme Court Justice Gregory Geason resigned after he was convicted and sentenced for assault and emotional abuse or intimidation. The Law Report looks at the broader question of how Australian jurisdictions balance judicial independence with accountability.

The High Court has found that it is not possible to find the Catholic Church 'vicariously liable' for the actions of molesting priests because they are not legally speaking employees. And Victorian drivers with medicinal cannabis in their system will no longer automatically lose their licence.

What does Donald Trump's election victory mean for his legal problems? And the case of a daughter who sued her father for sharing their private conversations. 

What's it like to have the responsibility to decide if a serious violent offender should be released from prison and allowed back into the community?

Two unfair dismissal cases highlight a changing workplace.  A Philippines based legal assistant has just won the right to bring an unfair dismissal case against her former employer. And the case of the stevedore with a medicinal cannabis prescription.

In his first media interview, Administrative Review Tribunal President Justice Emilios Kyrou outlines some of his new powers. They include the ability to order the publication of low level, routine decisions, which may reveal systemic bureaucratic failures such as the Robodebt disaster.

How should the law respond to the risks and benefits of Artificial Intelligence?

How do tenancy tribunals balance the competing needs of tenants and landlords? And why is Victoria - from a tenants' perspective - ahead of the pack? 

To what extent should employers be able to restrict employees from expressing their views and opinions in public?

Mexico is set to become the first country in the world to allow voters to elect every one of its 7,000 judges.

What happens when serious juror misconduct jeopardises a trial? And how can jurors be protected from outside pressures?