Law Report

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. 

When parents and doctors disagree, how do courts decide whether to withdraw life support from a hospitalised child? The creation of a federal judicial commission is among the recommendations of the Australian Law Reform Commission's report on judicial impartiality. The high-profile defamation litigation between billionaire politician Clive Palmer and WA premier Mark McGowan has ended in a draw.

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? 

Electric scooters are becoming an increasingly popular form of transport, but there is a confusing mosaic of laws that regulate their use across Australia. So, when accidents happen – who should be held legally liable?