Today
- Opinion
- Legal industry
How the US Supreme Court became a political organisation
When judges make decisions that should be left to politicians, they undermine democracy.
- Amanda Stoker
This Month
High Court rejects Crown immunity for sacred sites damage
The custodians of Kakadu National Park have won a test case in the High Court over a walking track at picturesque Gunlom Falls.
- Michael Pelly
March
Sacked Qantas ground workers to finally settle compo
The Federal Court will decide on how much to compensate Qantas workers illegally sacked during the depths of the pandemic.
- Updated
- Ayesha de Kretser
High Court win for corruption bodies comes with a warning
Victoria’s anti-corruption body dodged a bullet on Wednesday after a High Court ruling cleared the way for it to complete a stalled investigation.
- Michael Pelly
February
Native title victory over Glencore project
Native title owners have won a High Court battle with Glencore over a dredging project to support the McArthur River Mine
- Michael Pelly and Peter Ker
A fight over a bauxite mine may launch a new era for land rights
The High Court will decide the third great native title case this year, a decision that may overturn every land title in the Northern Territory for 67 years.
- Michael Pelly
January
Qantas locked in new legal battle with US workforce
Engineers at Los Angeles International Airport have filed a class action against Qantas, alleging underpayment of wages and other violations of California labour laws.
- Ayesha de Kretser
- Exclusive
- Regulation
ASIC to pursue riskier litigation strategy in 2024
Chairman Joe Longo says corporate regulator will focus on financial services, crypto, superannuation and target firms operating in grey areas of the law.
- Ronald Mizen
December 2023
Immigration detention laws pass as fourth ex-detainee arrested
Canberra has already started identifying the “worst of the worst” offenders to go back into immigration detention as it circumvents a High Court ruling.
- Updated
- Andrew Tillett
Political crisis deepens as third ex-detainee arrested
The government is fending off calls that two of its ministers resign as Victorian police arrest a former ringleader of a child exploitation gang.
- Updated
- Phillip Coorey
- Analysis
- Immigration
Three potential problems with new detention laws
If the government goes too far, it will be inviting the courts to strike down the new law for “preventative detention” of refugees and asylum seekers.
- Michael Pelly
Labor’s detention law headache to be over by week’s end
The Coalition signalled it would support proposed preventative detention laws that mirror counter-terrorism legislation, to end the High Court-triggered crisis.
- Updated
- Phillip Coorey
Rolling three-year prison sentences for high risk non-citizens
The bill will face a stoush in the Senate as the Coalition says it does not go far enough and the Greens have labelled it ‘knee-jerk hysteria policymaking’.
- Ronald Mizen
November 2023
High Court drama degenerates into paedophilia slurs
Peter Dutton wants Labor to apologise for accusing him of being a ‘protector of paedophiles’.
- Phillip Coorey and Michael Pelly
- Opinion
- The AFR View
Indefinite detention chaos not Canberra’s finest hour
This episode hasn’t been the finest hour for what should be Australia’s reasoned and deliberative legal and legislative processes.
- The AFR View
Immigration detention saga set to last another week
Home Affairs Minister Claire O’Neil said parliament would not rise for Christmas until the matter was dealt with.
- Phillip Coorey
- Analysis
- Analysis
Why two judges thought High Court went too far
Should the court have waited until its reasons were ready in the landmark case on immigration detention?
- Michael Pelly
Labor to put detainees back behind bars after High Court decision
The Albanese government is moving quickly to end the damaging row over the indefinite detention of non-citizens.
- Phillip Coorey
Labor to ‘make tough laws tougher’ on security as support drops
The government has revealed a second set of laws and $255 million for enforcement in response to High Court decisions that left it exposed on border security.
- Phillip Coorey
- Opinion
- Political leadership
Peter Dutton: can’t live with him, can’t live without him
Labor is whistling past the graveyard as it seeks to tie a bow around the parliamentary year.
- Phillip Coorey