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 July 28

Episodes249

Newest first

Apr 25, 2023 · 28 min
Murdoch, Dominion & Crikey; the secret trial of 'Witness J'
Is there a connection between the Fox News defamation settlement with US voting technology company Dominion and Lachlan Murdoch's withdrawal of legal action against the publisher of Crikey? And what do the sentencing remarks reveal about the secret trial of 'Witness J'?
Apr 18, 2023 · 28 min
Court ruling raises questions about NSW Covid fines; What is the 'dark fleet'?
What happens to tens of thousands of COVID-related fines in NSW after a Supreme Court ruling raised questions about their validity? How dangerous are the ageing oil tankers that help Russia dodge sanctions?
Apr 11, 2023 · 28 min
ACT law to ban non-urgent surgery for intersex children; cryptocurrency in crime
The ACT Legislative Assembly is considering a draft law to protect intersex children from undergoing deferrable and non-urgent medical treatments. And is the use of cryptocurrency really the marker of a sophisticated legal mind? A warning that this episode contains descriptions of surgical procedures.
Apr 4, 2023 · 28 min
WA bikies convicted for displaying club tattoos
In a legal first, a court in Western Australia has convicted three members of an outlaw motorcycle gang for displaying their club tattoos in public.
Mar 28, 2023 · 30 min
Indigenous Voice: Justice Kenneth Hayne speaks to the Law Report
Former High Court judge Kenneth Hayne, a member of the Constitutional Expert Panel, speaks to the Law Report about the Federal Government's proposed referendum, and constitutional amendments, to create an Indigenous Voice to Parliament.
Mar 21, 2023 · 30 min
SAS Veteran charged with war crimes: protestor prison sentence quashed: Botox alternative in High Court
An SAS veteran has been charged with the war-crime of murder under Australian law. A NSW judge has quashed the prison sentence of a protestor, and a cosmetic company selling a Botox alternative wins in the High Court.
Mar 14, 2023 · 30 min
High Court overturns marijuana house murder convictions; tax help for prisoners
The High Court has overturned the murder convictions of four men found guilty of killing a man in an Adelaide cannabis grow house. And, if a prisoner has a tax-related question, who can they turn to?
Mar 7, 2023 · 30 min
Duggan faces 'unusual' extradition charges; Australian regulators target corporate 'greenwashing'
Lawyers for former US marine Daniel Duggan have lodged a complaint to the UN Human Rights Committee citing 'degrading' detention conditions as his extradition case is set to return to court.
Feb 28, 2023 · 30 min
US ruling to ban caste discrimination; UN expert warns against gay conversion practices
The US city of Seattle has banned caste-based discrimination and there are calls for Australia to legislate similar protections. And, the UN independent expert on sexual orientation and gender identity, Victor Madrigal Borloz, is in Sydney to address the WorldPride Human Rights Conference.
Feb 21, 2023 · 30 min
High tech solutions to age-old crime of livestock theft
'Facial recognition for cows', GPS animal tags and DNA testing represent some of the technology being developed to help investigate and solve livestock theft and other farm-related crimes.
Feb 14, 2023 · 30 min
Visa cancellations & deportation
Could changes to visa cancellation policies under section 501 of the Migration Act signal a softening of Australia's stand on deportation on character grounds? Also, the sticky note at the centre of a legal challenge to deportation. And fugitive Darko Desic is allowed to stay in Australia.
Feb 7, 2023 · 30 min
Victoria commits to overhauling strict bail laws
A Victorian coroner has described the treatment of an Indigenous woman in prison as inhumane and her death preventable. Arrested on the suspicion of minor shoplifting charges, the woman was denied bail. As the Victorian Parliament resumes sitting, Premier Dan Andrews has committed to overhauling the state's strict bail laws. With the permission of the family — we are using the name and the voice of a First Nations person who has died. If the contents of this program cause any distress there i
Jan 31, 2023 · 30 min
Surprising Decisions About Legal Liability in Car Accidents
If you are responsible for a motor vehicle accident, just how far does your legal liability extend? A court decision could upend the assumption that in an accident, the car behind is always at fault. And a controversial case involving drug use in a parked car may be heading to the High Court.
Jan 24, 2023 · 30 min
Why was the AAT abolished? The dangers of witnessing wills remotely
The Federal Administrative Appeals Tribunal or AAT is to be axed, why and what will replace it? Remote signing of Wills was introduced as a COVID emergency measure, but as a new decision shows, there can be traps.
Jan 17, 2023 · 30 min
Judicial review to examine 'Croatian six' convictions
The New South Wales Supreme Court has ordered a judicial review in the convictions of the so-called 'Croatian Six'. Justice Robertson Wright said there are doubts and questions about the evidence used to convict the men in 1981. This episode first aired in September 2022.
Jan 10, 2023 · 30 min
Who should be held legally liable for accidents involving e-scooters?
Electric scooters are becoming an increasingly popular form of transport, but there is a confusing mosaic of laws that regulate their use across Australia. So, when accidents happen – who should be held legally liable?
Jan 3, 2023 · 30 min
Can machines invent and animals create?
Should patents be granted to Artificial Intelligence algorithms? Should machines have copyright over the art works they generate? What about animals? This episode first aired in June 2022.
Dec 27, 2022 · 30 min
Gender diversity on the bench
In the second of a two-part series, the Law Report speaks with members of the International Association of Women Judges in several countries. They explain the obstacles women judges face and what gender diversity brings to legal decision making.
Dec 20, 2022 · 30 min
How Afghan women judges found safety in Australia
In the first of a two-part series on women judges, the Law Report focuses on the experience of judge Shakila Abawi Shigarf, who was forced to flee Afghanistan when the Taliban retook power in August 2021.
Dec 13, 2022 · 30 min
Singing to the sea
The Federal Court has confirmed native title over more than 40,000 square kilometres of sea country in the Torres Strait region. For the first time the claim brings together Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians to achieve joint native title outcomes.