Law Report

Does the Federal Government's draft legislation for a national anti-corruption commission go far enough? And retired UK Supreme Court judge Lord Jonathan Sumption speaks to the Law Report about Julian Assange's fight against extradition to the US, the arrests of protesters following Queen Elizabeth's death, judicial appointments, and Brexit.

When police are called out to a domestic violence incident, do officers' body-worn video cameras always capture an accurate and complete record of what's taking place?

The High Court has upheld the constitutional validity of West Australian legislation that allows prisoners to be held in indefinite detention if a judge finds they could be at risk of committing a serious offence. It's feared the verdict may open the door for other states to expand the use of 'post-sentence' detention laws.

A look at the legal and constitutional role of Britain's Queen Elizabeth II. And the Commonwealth Ombudsman Iain Anderson discusses the expected visit to Australia by the UN Subcommittee on Prevention of Torture. 

The New South Wales Supreme Court has ordered a judicial review into the convictions of the so-called 'Croatian Six'. Justice Robertson Wright said there are doubts and questions about the evidence used to convict the men in 1981.

New South Wales Supreme Court Justice Ian Harrison has found former teacher Christopher Dawson guilty of murdering his wife Lynette, who disappeared in 1982. And calls for legislative change to help relieve Centrelink debt for people fleeing family and domestic violence. 

The Federal Government has released legal advice from the Solicitor General regarding the former prime minister Scott Morrison's move to secretly appoint himself to multiple ministries. And the High Court has ruled in favour of internet giant Google in a defamation case involving a Melbourne lawyer.

Should activist groups be allowed to use secretly filmed footage to expose the treatment of animals at farms and abattoirs? And Somebody's Daughter theatre company returns to the stage with stories of women's lives in prison, co-written and performed by former inmates. 

Justice Sarah Darrington, President of the Australian Law Reform Commission, and Michael Douglas, a defamation law expert, engage in a thought-provoking discussion. They explore the challenging ethical dilemmas courts face when parents and doctors disagree on withdrawing life support for children, highlighting recent cases. The conversation also covers the proposal for a judicial commission to enhance accountability and tackle bias in the judiciary. In a dramatic legal twist, they dissect the defamation battle between Clive Palmer and Mark McGowan, revealing the complexities and frustrations within the judicial process.

Should researchers collect and publish statistics which reveal how judges and tribunal members decide refugee cases? Is this a way of understanding legal decision making or does it risk undermining confidence in the justice system?