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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249 episodes
Updated Tuesday

Episodes249

Newest first

Tuesday · 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?
June 23 · 29 min
Why a UK court upheld the Palestine Action terror ban
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.
June 16 · 29 min
Should a complainant's counselling records be used in a sexual assault trial?
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.
June 9 · 29 min
Is there a place for AI in boardrooms and the courts?
Artificial intelligence is revolutionising all parts of the economy and our institutions — corporate boardrooms and the courts are not immune.
June 2 · 29 min
A bushfire starts on your property and spreads to your neighbours - are you liable for their losses?
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.
May 26 · 29 min
Trump's war on journalists: libel or lawfare?
There's been a wave of defamation suits from within the Trump administration targeting the US news media. Is it legitimate litigation or lawfare?
May 19 · 29 min
America's Erin Patterson? The Kouri Richins poisoning case
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.
May 12 · 29 min
Does EMDR therapy taint a witness's recollection?
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?
May 5 · 29 min
What does an election look like when there are no financial ground rules?
There are no political donation laws in Victoria following a High Court decision that overturned legislation in place for nearly a decade.
April 28 · 29 min
Scam victims want compensation as HSBC settles ASIC action
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?
April 21 · 29 min
Why was Ben Roberts-Smith granted bail on war crimes charges?
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?
April 14 · 29 min
Euthanasia: How Australia's approach compares to other countries
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?
April 7 · 29 min
A cultural approach to reducing Indigenous reoffending
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.
March 31 · 28 min
How accurate is facial recognition software?
The Law Report is asking some big picture questions about the pros and cons of facial recognition software use by police and retailers.
March 24 · 29 min
High Court says government can't use ankle bracelets, curfews to monitor former immigration detainees
Should the Federal Government have powers to restrict the movement of former immigration detainees in the community?
March 17 · 29 min
Are suppression orders out of control in Victoria?
How accurate is a recent report that claims Victorian courts issue more suppression orders than in any other Australian jurisdiction?