Law Report

ABC Australia

From courtroom dramas to miscarriages of justice, to how the law affects you — and so much more. The Law Report is your accessible guide to the big legal stories unfolding in Australia and across the world.

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34 episodes
Avg 29 min
English

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Tuesday · 29 min
Victorian Coroner finds online sports betting led to Kyle Hudson's death
For the first time a Coroner has ruled that a gambling addiction led to suicide. Despite being seemingly healthy and stable, with no drug or alcohol problems 22 year old student and gambler Kyle Hudson took his own life. Victorian Coroner Paul Lawrie said that 'Gambling was the direct and paramount causative factor underlying his decision to take his own life.' and noted that Kyle opened his first sports bet account immediately on turning 18. The Coroner made a number of recommendations includ
October 27 · 29 min
What does it cost to protest in Australia?
If you want to organise a protest in Australia, do you need to ask for permission? Who do you ask? The police? The local council? Do you need get public liability insurance cover or pay for traffic management? Should authorities treat protests the same way they do commercial events? The Law Report explores the "maze of requirements" and unexpected hoops that protest organisers have to jump through.
October 20 · 29 min
High Court says Qld prisoner can have eggs frozen
A High Court decision raises important questions about access to healthcare for prisoners after it ruled that a Queensland woman serving a 10-year sentence is entitled to have her eggs frozen. Queensland Corrective Services had unsuccessfully argued that egg freezing is a form of assisted reproductive technology which, under state law, is not available to prisoners. The Law Report explores whether prisoners receive the same range and quality of health services as the general population. And if
October 13 · 28 min
Democracy in the misinformation age
What impact does 'fake news' have on public discourse, democracy and the justice system? And how can governments and journalists meet the challenge? A former judge, a journalist turned researcher and a political strategist shine a light on democracy in the age of misinformation and disinformation. Listen to a panel discussion moderated by the Law Report's Damien Carrick in Melbourne this month, organised by Liberty Victoria and ABC Friends.
October 6 · 29 min
OpenAI agents hacked into Medicare — is it a crime?
When OpenAI agents gained unauthorised access to the Medicare data portal, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was extremely concerned about the privacy breach. But are there any legal consequences? Could OpenAI be prosecuted for the hack? Could it be liable in a civil action? As the technology develops at breakneck speed, the Law Report discusses what guardrails are necessary to keep people and data safe in the age of AI and social media.
October 6 · 29 min
Rogue OpenAI agents hacked into Medicare — is it a crime?
When OpenAI agents gained unauthorised access to the Medicare data portal, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was extremely concerned about the privacy breach. But are there any legal consequences? Could OpenAI be prosecuted for the hack? Could it be liable in a civil action? As the technology develops at breakneck speed, the Law Report discusses what guardrails are necessary to keep people and data safe in the age of AI and social media.
September 29 · 28 min
Should smart glasses be banned in public places?
Concerns over privacy breaches linked to smart glasses are seeing authorities around Australia move to restrict where they can be used. Western Australia has announced a complete ban in public schools, which takes effect next month. Local councils are also taking action, with the City of Randwick in Sydney investigating whether it can prohibit smart glasses at public beaches. And the Federal Government is considering restriction in Commonwealth workplaces. But how effective is regulation at
September 22 · 28 min
Is influencing someone to end their life a crime in Australia?
The Victorian government has pledged to implement a raft of reforms around domestic and family violence if it is re-elected in November. One promise is to introduce a new manslaughter offence in cases where a person is found to have taken their own life due to family violence. So, is it currently possible to convict a person of murder or manslaughter if they goad or encourage their partner to die by suicide? This has happened in Britain and the United States. And right now, Adelaide woman Ja
September 15 · 28 min
The rapid rise of AI use in employment law disputes
A Sydney computing academic made headlines when he won a landmark case at the Fair Work Commission by relying entirely on artificial intelligence. The Law Report explores concerns over the rapid rise in the use of AI by self-represented litigants in employment law disputes.
August 14 · length unknown
01 | Can a stranger inherit everything you own?
An elderly man goes into respite care and meets a nurse he's never known before. Within days she's bought him a will kit and had a document drawn up that leaves everything to her. He dies weeks later. Was that his clear settled wish, or something else entirely? Proving the difference is where it gets hard. And messy. When it comes to wills, how big an issue are fraud and undue influence? And what sorts of questions arise over how a will is made? Melbourne lawyer and elder financial abuse s
August 14 · length unknown
02 | The will written on a frozen fish packet
A frozen fish packet. An unsent text. A tractor fender. Courts have accepted all of these as valid wills. You want to write a will and make sure that your assets go to those who you think deserve your generosity. So, how can you make sure the will is binding? Does it need to be a formal document, printed out and signed with a pen? Or can a valid will be a word document, an email or text message? Can it be written on a frozen fish packet or the wall in your home? Wills expert Professor Pru Vin
August 14 · length unknown
03 | He worked the farm for decades and got nothing
You work the family farm your whole life, then it's left to someone else. When drafting a will, the law says you don't have to be fair or equal in deciding who will receive your estate. So, after you pass away, can disgruntled family members or friends challenge your will in the courts? Conflicts over inheritance arise in many families but are particularly fraught and complex in farming families. Andrew Lawson of the Australian Centre for Agriculture and Law at the University of New England e
August 14 · length unknown
04 | Asked to be an executor? What you're really signing up for
If a relative asks you to be the executor of their will, should you accept? What can go wrong and what do you need to know before you agree to take on the role? When disputes arise, executors are the ones left to clean up the mess, often navigating difficult family dynamics. And saying yes to being an executor can make you personally liable for someone else's debts. Sydney lawyer Donal Griffin explains what the job involves, from settling the deceased's tax and debts to the risk of being held pe
August 11 · 29 min
Alan Jones on trial
The criminal trial of former radio broadcaster Alan Jones has begun in the Local Court in Sydney.
August 4 · 29 min
How should the law respond to cults and groups that coerce and control?
The Victorian parliament has published a groundbreaking inquiry into the recruitment methods and impacts of cults and organised fringe groups. Among the inquiry's recommendations are world-first laws to criminalise coercive control behaviours by groups.
July 28 · 29 min
The legacy of William Ah Ket, Australia's first lawyer of Chinese descent
It's 150 years since the birth of William Ah Ket, Australia's first lawyer of Chinese descent. He was involved in two significant legal victories that kicked back against laws that discriminated against Asian Australians in the early 20th century. The Law Report explores the life and career of this remarkable Australian, his achievements and how his legacy resonates today.
July 21 · 29 min
Fifty years of 'no-fault' divorce in Australia
This year marks 50 years of the Family Law Act – legislation that revolutionised the way Australians divorce. Two former family law judges sit down with Damien Carrick to revisit a time before no-fault divorce, when unhappy spouses often employed private detectives to prove adultery.
July 14 · 29 min
The dilemmas of parole board decision making
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?
July 7 · 29 min
New employment law pathway to hear sexual harassment complaints
In a legal first, the Federal Court has handed down a sexual harassment decision under protections recently introduced to the Fair Work Act.
June 30 · 29 min
Who should pay when prison guards or police officers cause injury?
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?

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