Appeals    June 18, 2025

Wilks v Qu

Victorian Court of Appeal ... Powerlifting coach loses application for leave to appeal ... Abuse of process claim accepted as shorthand for events and pattern of behaviour ... Question whether particulars establishes rape a matter for trial ... "Floating particulars" relevant to pleadings ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

 

Appeals    May 20, 2025

Roberts-Smith v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited (Appeal)

Full Court of Federal Court of Australia ... Full Court publishes open court reasons for dismissing Ben Roberts-Smith's appeal against dismissal of his defamation action ... Appropriate weight given to standard of proof and presumption of innocence ... Roberts-Smith's action in one instance described as reckless and brazen ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

 

Appeals    May 16, 2025

Roberts-Smith v Fairfax Media Publications Pty Limited (Appeal)

Full Court of Federal Court of Australia ... VC recipient Ben Roberts-Smith loses appeal over dismissal of defamation action ... Fails in bid to have new trial as a result of miscarriage of justice ... Reasons to be published following Commonwealth scrutiny ... Roberts-Smith flags High Court appeal ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

 



Appeals    April 29, 2025

Ben Roberts-Smith v Fairfax Media Publications; The Age Company; Federal Capital Press

Federal Court of Australia ... Application by MinterEllison lawyers Peter Bartlett and Dean Levitan to set aside subpoenas from Ben Roberts-Smith ... Roberts-Smith seeks to re-open appeal to advance allegations of misconduct by journalist Nick McKenzie ... Lawyers for Bartlett and Levitan submit subpoenas amount to abuse of process ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

 


Appeals    April 20, 2025

Nikolic v Nationwide News; Nikolic v Twitter International Company

Supreme Court of Victorian Court of Appeal ... Double blow for IT security specialist in appeals ... Sought to appeal Supreme Court decisions in actions against Nationwide News and Twitter arising from tweets sent by accounts masquerading as company's handle ... No basis for doubting correctness of decisions below ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

 

Appeals    April 15, 2025

Nikolic v Twitter International Company

Federal Court of Australia ... IT developer fails in bid to stay settlement agreement with Twitter ... Failure to properly serve Twitter with originating application ... No reasonable cause of action disclosed ... No grounds for voiding agreement ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

 

Appeals    March 16, 2025

Prouten v Buxton

NSW Court of Appeal ... Woman labelled "vigilante" after encounter on shared cycle/footpath loses summons for leave to appeal ... Followed dismissal of her action in District Court ... Leave to appeal where amount in issue is less than $100,000 needs to involve matter of principle, public importance or clear injustice ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more

 

Appeals    December 22, 2024

Ouda v Hunter 

Victorian Court of Appeal ... Childcare operators refused leave to appeal over Supreme Court jury verdicts ... Sued former AFP Commander Todd Hunter and Commonwealth over media conference announcing charges ... Said jury verdicts were not reasonable ... Court of Appeal rules verdicts could be reasonably arrived at ... Courts Editor Stephen Murray reports ... more