

Law Report
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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.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Oct 7, 2025 • 29min
If a self-driving car crashes, who is liable?
As driver assistance technology becomes more and more prevalent, a persistent question remains, in the event of an accident, who is liable? We've seen complex liability battles play out in the U.S. And looking into a future where fully driverless cars take to Australian roads, what new laws will we need?

Sep 30, 2025 • 29min
How should wrongful convictions be compensated?
Queensland man Terry Irving was recently awarded $130,000 in damages for a malicious prosecution over 30 years ago. The Law Report looks at compensation for wrongful convictions in Australia and asks: do we need a better system?

Sep 23, 2025 • 29min
Is Australia fulfilling its legal duty to act on climate change? And High Court orders return of Bolivian artefact
Vishal Prasad, Campaign Director for Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change, discusses the implications of the recent ICJ advisory opinion on climate change and Australia's climate action efforts. He critiques Australia’s 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution and emphasizes the need for stronger commitments. Donna Yates, a criminologist and expert in trafficked cultural objects, dives into the High Court's ruling on the return of a Bolivian Tiwanaku artefact, shedding light on its provenance and the impacts of the antiquities trade.

Sep 16, 2025 • 29min
Fifty years of PNG's independence constitution
Papua New Guinea is celebrating 50 years of independence from Australia. Among the country's historic achievements is the national constitution, created in the 1970s using a groundbreaking process of public consultations across PNG. Five decades on, how well has PNG's constitution served its people?

Sep 8, 2025 • 32min
Erin Patterson mushroom murder sentence explained
"Your failure to exhibit any remorse pours salt into all the victims' wounds," said Judge Christopher Beale in sentencing Erin Patterson to life in prison, with a non-parole period of 33 years, for the murder of her elderly in-laws.

Sep 2, 2025 • 29min
Dezi Freeman and 'sovereign citizens'
David Heilpern, Dean of Law at Southern Cross University and a former magistrate, dives into the dark world of the sovereign citizen movement. He discusses the tragic ramifications of Dezi Freeman's violent actions and how they expose the challenges the legal system faces with self-represented individuals. Heilpern highlights the bizarre beliefs of sovereign citizens, their claims of legal immunity, and the surge of misinformation exacerbated by recent events. The podcast underscores the urgent need for better legal education and strategies to combat these dangerous ideologies.

Aug 27, 2025 • 18min
Law Report Special: Linda Reynolds wins defamation battle against Brittany Higgins
Former Coalition Federal Minister Linda Reynolds has won her defamation case against former parliamentary staffer Brittany Higgins.It has been widely reported that both parties literally put their houses on the line to fund their legal campaigns and today, almost a year after the trial wrapped, Justice Paul Tottle of the WA Supreme Court ordered that Brittany Higgins pay Linda Reynolds $315,000 in damages and $26,000 in interest.The trial centred on three social media posts written by Brittany Higgins, four years after she alleges she was raped in parliament house by her then colleague Bruce Lehrmann. The social media posts criticised her then boss Linda Reynolds.Defamation law expert Dr Jessica Lake joins host Damien Carrick to analyse why Higgins legal team defences of truth, fair comment and qualified privilege mostly failed and what this will mean for future defamation cases. To hear more in-depth expert coverage of the important legal stories and cases of the week search for The Law Report podcast on the ABC Listen app or wherever you get your podcasts.Guest: Defamation Law expert Dr Jessica Lake from Melbourne University Law School

Aug 26, 2025 • 29min
Will 'post and boast' laws stop offenders bragging on social media? Australia tightens vaping regulations
Victoria is the latest jurisdiction to adopt laws that punish offenders who brag about their crimes on social media, as Western Australia considers a similar bill to increase the maximum prison sentence. Critics fear the legislation could stifle free speech and lead to a rise in youth incarceration. And Australian regulations around electronic cigarettes are being tightened - are the new rules working?

Aug 19, 2025 • 29min
Nine's victory in Al Muderis defamation case; Legal fight over 'Never Get Busted' director credit
The Nine Network's Federal Court victory over high-profile surgeon Munjed Al Muderis marks the first time a media organisation has defended a defamation case on public interest grounds. And two people who claim to have directed a documentary being screened at the Melbourne International Film Festival are at the centre of an unusual legal fight.

Aug 12, 2025 • 29min
Record damages in Mad Mex sexual harassment case; Reviewing the legal definition of terrorism
The Federal Court has awarded a record $305,000 in damages to a young woman who was sexually harassed by her employer at a Sydney fast food restaurant. And is it time to change how Australian law defines terrorism?