Law Report

Epizode

• The dilemmas of parole board decision making 14.07.2026 29min

  What is it like to have the responsibility of deciding if a violent offender should be released from prison and allowed back into the community? 
• New employment law pathway to hear sexual harassment complaints 07.07.2026 29min

  In a legal first, the Federal Court has handed down a sexual harassment decision under protections recently introduced to the Fair Work Act.
• Who should pay when prison guards or police officers cause injury? 30.06.2026 29min

  If a child is injured by tear gas in a youth detention centre, are the authorities liable? And can a protester injured by police during a demonstration seek damages? 
• Why a UK court upheld the Palestine Action terror ban 23.06.2026 29min

  The Court of Appeal in London ruled that it was open to Britain's home secretary to designate the Palestine Action protest group as a terrorist organisation.
• Should a complainant's counselling records be used in a sexual assault trial? 16.06.2026 29min

  The Law Report looks at the Victorian government plans to ensure health and counselling information is not used in court without the consent of victim survivors, who will also be given the choice to pre-record their evidence ahead of trial.
• Is there a place for AI in boardrooms and the courts? 09.06.2026 29min

  Artificial intelligence is revolutionising all parts of the economy and our institutions — corporate boardrooms and the courts are not immune.
• A bushfire starts on your property and spreads to your neighbours - are you liable for their losses? 02.06.2026 29min

  A court has found that a South Australian farmer was responsible for setting fire to a pile of vegetation that was left smouldering and reignited six months later, causing a devastating bushfire.
• Trump's war on journalists: libel or lawfare? 26.05.2026 29min

  There's been a wave of defamation suits from within the Trump administration targeting the US news media. Is it legitimate litigation or lawfare?
• America's Erin Patterson? The Kouri Richins poisoning case 19.05.2026 29min

  In a case that's transfixed the US, a woman who wrote a children's book about grief following her husband's death has been sentenced to life in prison for his murder.
• Does EMDR therapy taint a witness's recollection? 12.05.2026 29min

  Imagine you are a victim of crime and need therapy to help deal with a traumatic memory. Would you go ahead if it meant that your case might not be prosecuted because the treatment could deem your evidence unreliable or inadmissible in court?
• What does an election look like when there are no financial ground rules? 05.05.2026 29min

  There are no political donation laws in Victoria following a High Court decision that overturned legislation in place for nearly a decade.
• Scam victims want compensation as HSBC settles ASIC action 28.04.2026 29min

  The Law Report speaks to victims who are calling for the banking giant to compensate them, and asks, how effective are Australian laws in dealing with sophisticated scams? 
• Why was Ben Roberts-Smith granted bail on war crimes charges? 21.04.2026 29min

  Australia's most decorated living soldier Ben Roberts-Smith has been granted bail after being charged with five counts of the war crime of murder. Why was he granted bail? And why did the judge find there were exceptional circumstances and bail did not impose any unacceptable risks?  
• Euthanasia: How Australia's approach compares to other countries 14.04.2026 29min

  In countries where voluntary assisted dying is allowed, there are very different legal frameworks. A high-profile case in Spain raises questions of whether the procedure should only be allowed if there is a terminal illness. Should the medical criteria also include mental distress? And how does mental illness impact on the idea of agency and choice?  
• A cultural approach to reducing Indigenous reoffending 07.04.2026 29min

  Indigenous incarceration rates are off the scale in Australia. For the last four years, the District Court of New South Wales has been trialling the Walama sentencing list, a program aimed at reducing recidivism.
• How accurate is facial recognition software? 31.03.2026 28min

  The Law Report is asking some big picture questions about the pros and cons of facial recognition software use by police and retailers.
• High Court says government can't use ankle bracelets, curfews to monitor former immigration detainees 24.03.2026 29min

  Should the Federal Government have powers to restrict the movement of former immigration detainees in the community?
• Are suppression orders out of control in Victoria? 17.03.2026 29min

  How accurate is a recent report that claims Victorian courts issue more suppression orders than in any other Australian jurisdiction? 
• Should an offender's disadvantage have an impact on their sentence? 10.03.2026 29min

  What arguments and information should courts be hearing when they are sentencing an offender? In April, a tool to assist defence lawyers and judges will go national.
• Law Report Special: Star Casino executive directors breached their obligations under the Corporations Act 05.03.2026

  Matthias Bekier, former managing director of Star Entertainment, the company which operates Sydney’s Star Casino and Paula Martin, Star Entertainment’s former legal counsel both failed to address money laundering risks and criminal associations between 2017 and 2019. That’s the finding of Justice Michael Lee of the Federal Court, who at the same time dismissed similar cases against a number of Star Entertainment’s non-executive directors. What does this finding mean for both executive and non-executive directors? Guest:  Anthony Whealy, former NSW Supreme Court judge, Chair of the Centre for Public Integrity and a Former New South Wales Court of Appeals Judge, he’s also a former assistant commissioner to the NSW ICAC. (Independent Commission Against Corruption) To hear more in-depth expert coverage of the important legal stories and cases of the week, search for The Law Report podcast on ABC Listen or wherever you get your podcasts.