Prima Facie

The federal court judge named and shamed six judges over delayed rulings. Now the chiefs have told their courts to keep any criticism in-house.

The High Court is finally getting down to the real issues in shareholder class actions.

The native title battle between the Yindjibarndi people of the Pilbara and mining giant Fortescue will likely end up in the High Court — again.

Justice Robert Beech-Jones’ combative speech took aim at a conservative legal society — and exposed tensions inside the High Court.

The ACCC has claimed a big win in the Coles fake discount case, but the real gauge of success will be the size of the penalties. And they may fall short of the hype.

Zip Co might have lost its trade mark battle with Firstmac, but the case has settled a tricky area of intellectual property law.

Clive Palmer is weighing in on a push to bring prediction markets to Australia. The lobby’s claim it should not be regulated as gambling may be its biggest bet.

This week, the defamation dance between Sue Chrysanthou SC and Rebel Wilson veered from smooth foxtrot to dramatic bolero.

Defamation litigants used to slug it out in state courts. Now the Federal Court is where showbiz and politics go public.

Gina Rinehart’s 16-year legal battle over mining royalties lays bare what the WA chief justice calls an ‘intolerable’ burden on the justice system.

The Commonwealth has hired criminal barristers Tim Game SC and Simon Buchen SC for Ben Roberts-Smith’s war crime murder case.

Norman O’Bryan’s fall from grace has been staggering. Now the former barrister faces the prospect of jail.

On Monday, it’s back to the future for Mallesons after 14 years of hitching its wagon to China.

The parties are so far apart that it would be a surprise if radio presenter Kyle Sandilands and his employer ARN don’t end up in court.

Katy Perry lost her High Court trade mark fight with Australian designer Katie Perry in a ruling lawyers say could limit celebrity brand claims.

Zac Lomax and the Melbourne Storm held a losing hand in their contract dispute with Parramatta, which shadowed the start of the NRL season.

At last year’s State of the Union, President Donald Trump warmly greeted the Supreme Court justices in attendance. That wasn’t the case this year.

Shareholder class actions are heading to the High Court for a landmark test on materiality and damages, following a string of courtroom defeats.

Stephen Gageler’s High Court could be the most reform-minded in more than 30 years, after a ruling making it easier to sue institutions over historical abuse.

Sarah Court is taking the helm of a harder-edged ASIC. Now attention turns to a fresh question: who will be her enforcement sidekick?

It's the busiest day of the legal year, but all eyes are on a trio of fascinating High Court cases set down for 2026.

A messy announcement underscored the wider breakdown in the relationship between the Chinese and Australian partnerships of King & Wood Mallesons.

It takes special talent to go backwards on an appeal, but that's what happened to Bruce Lehrmann this week.

Chief Justice Stephen Gageler wanted speakers at the Australian Legal Convention to be "provocative". They didn't disappoint.

The merger between Ashurst and US firm Perkins Coie this week demonstrates the influence of the American legal market on Australia — and the choice facing some of our biggest firms.

The Commonwealth may have “won” the Russian embassy case in the High Court, but it will still have to fork out millions in compensation.

What is stopping King & Wood Mallesons — or at least its Australian arm — from finally pulling the pin on its 13-year alliance?

Behind the scenes of the courtroom clash that almost killed Mayne Pharma’s $615 million takeover — and the lawyers who pulled it back from the brink.

Taking hackers to court has become a standard part of the cyber response toolkit since law firm HWL Ebsworth was attacked in 2023. But for those still paying ransoms, the price has only risen.

High Court justice Simon Steward says it is "only a matter of time" before directors face court for involving their companies in social and political debates.

Clive Palmer’s costly tilt at Australia over whether he qualifies as a foreign investor ended in defeat. But will the country retrieve its $13.6 million in costs?

Divorce is good business for fintech investor Craig Carroll and his startup JustFund, as family law lending sheds its “wild west” reputation.

Queensland’s new AI guidelines hint courts may take a softer stance on chatbot use, though litigants risk costs if affidavits or citations go wrong.

As leading legal AI platform Harvey sets up shop in Australia, founder Winston Weinberg says a major impact of the technology will be on how associates learn the job.

The High Court delivered a record-equalling five decisions on a single day this week, underlining how Chief Justice Stephen Gageler is running a tight ship.

Media lawyers' new public interest defence for defamation "has legs", and the "serious harm" might have helped Brittany Higgins.

Qantas’ shoddy apology for cutting 1,820 ground staff jobs in 2020 — and CEO Vanessa Hudson’s no-show in court — left Justice Michael Lee unconvinced.

Justice Jacqueline Gleeson is shaping as a High Court swing vote, while Justice James Edelman seems content in his role as the bench's soloist.

Litigation funders and lawyers are reaping the rewards of Australia’s class action system, while the clients they represent are often left with the scraps.