ABC Australia

Law Report

From courtroom dramas to miscarriages of justice, to how the law affects you — and so much more. The Law Report is your accessible guide to the big legal stories unfolding in Australia and across the world.

Be sure to visit the podcast's website and support the creator: www.abc.net.au

Author

ABC Australia

Category

Government

Podcast website

www.abc.net.au

Latest episode

Oct 13, 2026

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Episodes

Should foreign judges sit on Hong Kong's highest court? Anti-discrimination laws in religious schools 25.06.2024

Two English judges have resigned from Hong Kong's Court of Final Appeal. Should four Australian judges stay or go? The Australian Law Reform Commission has made a set of recommendations on how anti-discrimination laws should operate in religious schools. 

How stressful is it to be a judge or magistrate? 18.06.2024

New research examines the impact of heavy workloads on the well-being of judicial officers and the quality of justice delivered. 

Protecting First Nations sacred sites: are Australian laws fit for the task? 11.06.2024

Traditional owners have welcomed an announcement by Parks Australia that it would plead guilty to damaging a sacred site at Gunlom Falls in Kakadu National park. The move follows a landmark High Court decision which found that statutory bodies can be held criminally liable for damaging cultural sites. 

BAD NEIGHBOURS S2 E5 | Fences 05.06.2024

Bad fences make bad neighbours! The Law Report explores your rights and responsibilities when it comes to fences and boundaries.

Trump's legal woes; Bad Neighbours: fences 04.06.2024

What are Donald Trump's legal options after the former US president was found guilty of falsifying business records in the 'hush money' trial?

BAD NEIGHBOURS S2 E4 | Cars and apartments 29.05.2024

From abandoned cars to electric vehicle charging, the Law Report shifts gears on your rights and responsibilities when it comes to cars in strata blocks.

Can X be held liable for publishing hate speech in Australia? Bad Neighbours: cars & apartments 28.05.2024

In a legal first, a Queensland tribunal finds the social media platform formerly known as Twitter can be held liable for hate speech published on the site. Can a victim of road rage claim workers compensation? And the Law Report drives around the frustrations of cars in apartment blocks.

BAD NEIGHBOURS S2 E3 | Surveillance cameras 22.05.2024

Do you ever feel like you're being watched? The Law Report zooms in on curious neighbours and talks to experts about your rights and responsibilities when it comes to residential surveillance cameras.

UK court ruling paves way for new Assange appeal against extradition; Bad Neighbours: surveillance cameras 21.05.2024

Britain's High Court has ruled that WikiLeaks founder Julian Assange can bring a new appeal against extradition to the US on espionage charges. Also in the program, a legal decision that could be a game changer for hundreds of Australians who developed lung cancer after being exposed to asbestos.

BAD NEIGHBOURS S2 E2 | Water 16.05.2024

The Law Report follows the flow of cases that create waves between neighbours and talks to experts about your rights and responsibilities when it comes to water.

War crimes whistleblower David McBride sentenced; Bad Neighbours: water 14.05.2024

Former military lawyer David McBride has been sentenced to five years and eight months in prison for leaking classified documents that exposed allegations of Australian war crimes in Afghanistan.

BAD NEIGHBOURS S2 E1 | Smells 08.05.2024

Everybody needs good neighbours, but what do you do if yours are big stinkers? In the first of our six-part series, The Law Report sniffs out the neighbourhood smells that have landed in court, so you know where you stand with the law and the pong next door.

The end of non-compete clauses? Bad Neighbours: smells 07.05.2024

Should an employer be able to restrict your future work options? When you are fighting with your neighbour over things like fences, cameras or cars, whose side is the law on? 

Tikanga: Incorporating Māori concepts in NZ common law 30.04.2024

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. 

Jury selection in Trump's 'hush money' trial; monitoring dangerous offenders after release from prison 23.04.2024

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. 

Judge rules, on balance of probabilities, Lehrmann raped Higgins 16.04.2024

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.

Do Queensland's criminal defence laws need to be reformed? 09.04.2024

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 violenc...

Two hundred years of the NSW Supreme Court 02.04.2024

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. 

Movements in work safety: Victoria's first industrial manslaughter prosecutions and feedback on OH&S laws 26.03.2024

The Law Report makes the law accessible.

Protecting IP rights: a guide for divorcees and inventors 19.03.2024

Dividing up intellectual property rights in a divorce settlement. And the case of a mining equipment company that legally can't stop competitors from copying its invention.

"Trapped in silence": The campaign to end NDA misuse 12.03.2024

The global campaign to end the misuse of non-disclosure agreements. And record damages awarded in a sexual harassment case make it clear courts won't tolerate employers who intimidate complainants.

Non-disclosure agreements in sexual harassment cases 05.03.2024

How are non-disclosure agreements used in the settlement of sexual harassment claims? Damien Carrick speaks to the co-authors of a new study, "Let's talk about confidentiality".

Do we have healthy industry competition in Australia? 27.02.2024

Do we have healthy industry competition in Australia? Do we have the right regulatory framework? Damien Carrick speaks to the chairwoman of the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, Gina Cass-Gottlieb.

Julian Assange: Will Britain's High Court approve new appeal against US extradition? 20.02.2024

Lawyers for Julian Assange will appear in Britain's High Court this week in what could be the final attempt to stop the WikiLeaks founder from being extradited to the United States, where he faces espionage charges.  

Mother of US school shooter found guilty of manslaughter; the death penalty in China 13.02.2024

Should a parent be held legally responsible for the crimes of their child? And Australian writer and academic Yang Hengjun is given a suspended death sentence in China after being found guilty of espionage.

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