The Brexit case – implications for Australia
Amidst the Brexit debacle, the UK Supreme Court[1] has invented a brand-new rule limiting executive power. Yet, the core legal principles supporting this politically controversial development are thoroughly orthodox and, despite different constitutional arrangements, may strongly influence how executive power is exercised under Australian law. Context The Supreme Court was asked to determine whether the […]
ReadmoreHunting together – time to refresh memorandums of understanding?
For many years, both State and Federal agencies have formally co-operated under MOUs as an important means of performing their regulatory mandates. In the post-Hayne environment, agencies should consider refreshing their existing MOUs or establishing new arrangements for information sharing and co-ordination with other regulators. Agencies can take guidance from Commissioner Hayne’s comments and the […]
ReadmoreDevelopment Agreements, the devil may be in the detail
The New South Wales Supreme Court decision of Crown Sydney Property v Barangaroo Delivery Authority; Lendlease (Millers Point) v Barangaroo Delivery Authority[1] highlights the need for government entities entering commercial agreements, such as development agreements, to judiciously choose the language used and to carefully comply with the terms, or face the potentially costly implications of failing […]
ReadmoreFederal Government and Cadbury seek leave to appeal Federal Court decision that left bad taste in employers’ mouths
The Federal Government and major employer Mondelez, who operates a Cadbury plant in Tasmania, will seek leave to appeal last month’s landmark Full Federal Court decision regarding paid personal/carers’ leave, to the High Court. The decision concerned the meaning of the word “day” for the purpose of the entitlement to 10 days paid personal/carer’s leave […]
ReadmoreClass Action against Local Government
In a class action proceeding against a local government for a claim in debt, the plaintiff made an application to strike out parts of the local government’s defence and counter claim that sought to rely on the principles of ‘change of position’, a defence associated with restitution. The application by the plaintiff was dismissed and […]
ReadmoreCultural Heritage – obligations on Qld entities
Images of the world famous Notre Dame cathedral on fire clearly raised many emotional responses for Australians. The images no doubt causing many to lament so much history and culture being destroyed in an instant. Yet few appreciate the parallels between a tragedy in a European cathedral and the regular destruction of indigenous cultural heritage […]
ReadmoreModern Slavery Act
The Modern Slavery Act 2018 (Cth) (‘Act’) commenced on 1 January 2019 and requires organisations with an annual consolidated revenue of more than $100 million to report annually on the risks of modern slavery within their supply chain. The Act is similar to the UK legislation. Organisations will be required to submit their first report after the […]
ReadmorePublic servants can be liable for social media posts
In the landmark case of Comcare v Michaela Banerji[1] handed down on Wednesday, the High Court unanimously overturned a ruling that the Department of Immigration and Citizenship imposed an unjustified burden on the implied freedom of political communication when dismissing Banerji because of her contentious political tweets. Background While employed at the Department of […]
ReadmoreSuccessful compliance and enforcement actions
Compliance and enforcement is a cornerstone of the implementation of the laws and policies administered by government departments and authorities. Effective compliance and enforcement is important to promote voluntary compliance and deter and penalise non-compliance. Compliance and enforcement activities are particularly important where non-compliance can have serious impacts on third parties and the public interest, […]
ReadmoreThe future of litigation in Queensland – eDiscovery and eTrials
Litigation can be costly. In particular, the discovery stage can form one of the most expensive phases of the litigation process. The Court and practitioners alike are increasingly turning to technological solutions to reduce the time and cost of the discovery process. Taking into account such factors, Gadens were recently involved in a proceeding in […]
ReadmoreThe Model Litigant post the Hayne Royal Commission – walking a tightrope?
A great deal has already been written about the Royal Commission into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry (the Banking Royal Commission) and the scandals which emerged throughout. Commissioner Hayne’s ire (and that of the public and media) was felt by many, including the regulators, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and […]
ReadmoreGovernment contracts and future discretions
People rightly expect freely negotiated contracts to be honoured. When a contract is with government, the expectation is not lessened. Indeed, it is accompanied by the reasonable expectation (if not the obligation) that the agreement will be administered fairly and according to law. The government’s failure to meet these expectations creates a form of sovereign […]
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