Legal system groaning as silk shortage bites
It is now taking on average 64 weeks for criminal matters to get to trial in WA’s District Court, as lawyers say delays are coming at a significant cost to taxpayers.
Legal Affairs
Mum’s discrimination probe after claim sect brainwashed her son
Camille Kwan has battled to extract her son from what she claims is a ‘cult-like’ Buddhist sect; now she faces a religious discrimination claim made by a sect member.
Rage and Fury: Inside PwC’s damage control response
The PwC international arm’s fury at the failure of the local leadership to halt the tax scandal contagion has been laid bare in papers published by a parliamentary committee.
ICAC must prioritise the justice system’s needs
It is important that ICAC’s investigations are conducted in a timely manner but it is far more important that this process should not be permitted to delay criminal justice.
Be thankful you’re the PM and not NSW premier, Mr Albanese
For the rest of his life, the Prime Minister should give thanks every day that the National Anti-Corruption Commission is not the same as NSW’s anti-corruption body.
Hot mic: Top architect and his firm face bullying allegations
An award-winning Melbourne architect is the subject of bullying claims, with a recording revealing an employee was allegedly performance-managed out of her role after making claims about workplace issues | LISTEN
Qantas sues former pilot for alleged industrial espionage
Qantas has alleged that one of its top pilots stole confidential documents about its commercial strategy before he quit to join rival Virgin Australia.
‘Better ethics oversight needed’
The PM’s acceptance of free flight upgrades and entry into the chairman’s lounge at Qantas may not fall into the legal definition of bribery but is a result of the Australian parliament’s lacklustre ethics and integrity oversight, a law professor has argued.
Santos serious about reducing emissions, court hears
In a case challenging the veracity of Santos’ CO2 emissions reduction, the Federal Court has heard testimony from a former boss who says the company’s commitment is genuine.
‘Remove it’: DPP’s demand to The Australian on complaint story
The extraordinary bid by NSW DPP Sally Dowling to bury reporting of a senior judge’s complaint against her comes after she previously threatened to sue The Australian for defamation.
Toxic culture, punishment and suicidal lawyers: allegations against DPP’s office
Safe Work NSW is making enquiries about untested allegations of bullying, censorship, and ‘serious maladministration’ levelled at the office of chief prosecutor Sally Dowling SC.
Iron ore miner to fight Indigenous heritage ruling
Equinox Resources is taking on the WA government and one of the most powerful traditional owner groups in Australia after being refused permission to work on part of its mining lease.
Santos’ net-zero plan not credible, court told
A court challenge, the first of its type, testing the veracity of Santos’ net-zero emissions statements has the potential to have landmark ramifications for companies.
Exhausted DPP staff stressed and burnt out
Less than half of the NSW prosecution office feels favourably towards the senior executive team, an all-staff survey has revealed, as hundreds of staff indicate they are subject to unmanageable stress.
Out of the shadows: Tax chief happy to go to court
With a new Commissioner of Taxation at the reins, the Australian Taxation Office has a clear message for corporate Australia.
The law at war: Her Honour vs Director of Public Prosecutions
The growing rift between the NSW judiciary and the state’s top prosecutor has been dramatically laid bare with a senior judge alleging Sally Dowling tried to ‘exert influence’ over the judiciary and engaged in ‘ethically questionable’ behaviour.
Business-for-sex scandal ruins a billionaire’s reputation
Richard White expected to be ‘vindicated’ when he got his day in court with ex-lover Linda Rogan. It was a bad call.
Super Retail ‘tried to reach a deal’ over whistleblower scandal
In her first public comments about the scandal which has rocked Super Retail, chairman Sally Pitkin says the company tried to settle with two former executives-turned-whistleblowers.
Memo to Lidia Thorpe: the colonial era is dead and gone
Senator Lidia Thorpe’s shouted assertion King Charles is not her king is at odds with constitutional reality, which means the real problem isn’t manners – it’s ignorance and duplicity.
Nazis ‘just a pretext’ in Pesutto scheme
John Pesutto’s lawyer has rejected the case theory put forward by Moira Deeming’s legal team, saying it contains ‘allegations of gross dishonesty and fraud’.
Element Zero to challenge court’s OK for Fortescue raids
Element Zero has lodged a request to challenge orders Fortescue obtained in secret from the Federal Court that allowed it to raid the homes of former staff.
Watchdog on the trail of Mineral Resources boss
ASIC is interested in the outcome of an internal inquiry launched by the MinRes board into Chris Ellison’s admission that he once cheated on his personal tax obligations.
Corporate watchdog ramps up enforcement moves
The corporate watchdog will ramp up its regulatory compliance and enforcement activities after a near-25 per cent increase in new investigations and civil proceedings over the past 12 months.
$2.2m fraud charge for crypto boss who warned of scams
The former boss of a Queensland crypto exchange who once penned an article about how to spot Bitcoin scams has been charged with fraud over a $2.2m transaction.
Parole board ‘reprisal’ alleged by whistleblower lawyer
A senior Queensland parole board lawyer has launched legal action claiming she was pushed out of her job after accusing a colleague of pressuring a judge into burying a contentious judgment.
Lessons learnt from mixing business with pleasure
If Richard White had been granted a court suppression order his private life would have stayed private but he didn’t – and the fallout is a lesson for people in positions of power.
‘Affirmative consent model’ focus of national shift in rape laws
A review into Australia’s rape laws has praised a national shift towards affirmative consent models that require less ‘scrutiny’ of complainants in courts, and see greater prosecutions of nuanced sexual violence cases.
PwC felt tax strategies were ‘high risk’, admits former CEO
Former PwC Australia chief Tom Seymour says partnerships formed on advice sold to many of the firm’s American tech clients by a former tax practice ‘rover’ were identified as high risk.
WiseTech billionaires down $2bn after White court stoush
Tech powerhouse WiseTech Global has been an ASX star but its shares have fallen since legal controversies arose about its founder and now Richard White is under pressure from his board.
Harvey Norman breached law over ‘interest-free’ promotions
The retail giant will face a penalty hearing next year after ASIC successfully claimed customers were misled over the promotion of interest-free payment methods for its products.
Original URL: https://www.theaustralian.com.au/business/legal-affairs/page/12