West Australia

West Australian Law Online

How art is transforming the lives of First Nations prisoners 10 June 2025
Can art change lives? Confined 16 is an exhibition in Melbourne of First Nations artists who picked up the paint brush while they were in prison.
The case for stronger whistleblower protections in Australia 3 June 2025
The return of high-profile whistleblowing cases to court has renewed calls for legislative reform in Australia to better protect, provide oversight and support to, those who expose wrongdoing in the public and private sectors.
The mushroom murder trial; Tasmanian supermarket sued for banning entry to 'therapy alpaca' 27 May 2025
A Victorian woman is on trial accused of poisoning her lunch guests by serving them a meal laced with death cap mushrooms. And a Tasmanian couple banned from taking their alpaca into a supermarket is accusing the store of disability discrimination.
"What's in your drugs?": Pill testing at music events 20 May 2025
Does pill testing save lives? Damien Carrick visits a pop-up service at a Melbourne music event where substances are checked, and staff talk to partygoers about reducing risk when using drugs.
Queensland reviews strangulation offence 13 May 2025
In 2016, Queensland was the first Australian jurisdiction create a stand-alone offence of non-fatal strangulation. Since then, every other state and territory has followed its lead - most recently Victoria. Almost a decade on, the Queensland Law Reform Commission is conducting an inquiry into the offence.
Labor's election landslide; How companies use AI tools to disqualify job applicants 6 May 2025
What's behind the Labor Party's overwhelming election victory? And can AI-based technology be used to discriminate against job applicants?
How family law courts deal with disputes over gender affirming hormone therapy for children 29 April 2025
Two recent court decisions could help shape the debate, and perhaps the law, on when children can be given puberty blockers and cross-sex hormone therapy.
Federal Court Chief Justice Debbie Mortimer on open justice in the digital age 22 April 2025
The Hon. Debbie Mortimer, Chief Justice of the Federal Court of Australia, joins Damien Carrick in a conversation about live streaming court cases, suppression orders and access to court documents.
High Court upholds Queensland's "no body, no parole" laws; Endangered glider possums in court 15 April 2025
A Queensland man convicted of murder has failed to convince the High Court to strike out laws that were used to deny him parole for refusing to cooperate with authorities searching for one of his victims. And the fate of endangered forest glider possums could be a little safer following a ruling that allows a […]
Can Trump's tariffs be challenged in court? Should we ban non-complete clauses? 8 April 2025
U.S President Trump's announcement of reciprocal tariffs has sent shockwaves through the world economy, but are these liberation day tariffs constitutional? Meanwhile, in the federal budget, the government included a surprise announcement that it will ban certain non-compete clauses. What will this mean for small businesses as well as low wage employees?

Valuer-General Victoria v WSTI Properties 490 SKR Pty Ltd [2025] HCA 23 (11 June 2025) (Gageler CJ; Gordon, Steward, Gleeson and Jagot JJ) 11 June 2025
Catchwords: Statutes – Interpretation – Valuation of land – Where land with heritage residence subject to site-specific heritage overlay – Where definition of "site value" in s 2(1) of Valuation of Land Act 1960 (Vic) means value of land assuming improvements not made – Where definition of "improvements" in s 2(1) of Valuation of Land […]
Evans v Air Canada [2025] HCA 22 (14 May 2025) (Gageler CJ; Edelman, Steward, Gleeson and Beech-Jones JJ) 14 May 2025
Catchwords: Aviation – Carriage of passengers by air – Contract of carriage – Where Air Canada's International Passenger Rules and Fares Tariff ("Air Canada Tariff") formed part of contract of carriage with passengers – Where defences to liability recognised by Convention for the Unification of Certain Rules for International Carriage by Air (1999) ("Montreal Convention") […]
Babet v Commonwealth of Australia; Palmer v Commonwealth of Australia [2025] HCA 21 (14 May 2025) (Gageler CJ; Gordon, Edelman, Steward, Gleeson, Jagot and Beech-Jones JJ) 14 May 2025
Catchwords: Constitutional law (Cth) – Free and informed choice – Implied freedom of political communication – Where United Australia Party ("UAP") was formerly registered under Pt XI of Commonwealth Electoral Act 1918 (Cth) ("Act") and had been voluntarily deregistered under s 135(1) of Act – Where s 135(3) of Act precluded reregistration of UAP from […]
Brawn v The King [2025] HCA 20 (07 May 2025) (Gageler CJ; Gordon, Edelman, Steward, Gleeson, Jagot and Beech-Jones JJ) 7 May 2025
Catchwords: Criminal practice – Appeal – Irregularity in criminal trial – Where principal issue at trial was whether perpetrator was appellant or another adult member of complainant's community – Where after trial prosecution disclosed appellant's father had been charged with sexual offences against another child – Where appellant appealed conviction on ground that there had […]
Lendlease Corporation Limited v Pallas [2025] HCA 19 (07 May 2025) (Gageler CJ; Gordon, Edelman, Steward, Gleeson, Jagot and Beech-Jones JJ) 7 May 2025
Catchwords: Representative actions – Practice and procedure – Orders – Notices to group members – Where representative proceeding under Pt 10 of Civil Procedure Act 2005 (NSW) ("CPA") – Where defendant proposed to provide notice ("proposed notice") setting out its intention to seek certain order if proceeding settled – Where proposed notice indicated defendant's intention […]
The King v Batak [2025] HCA 18 (07 May 2025) (Gageler CJ; Gordon, Edelman, Steward, Gleeson, Jagot and Beech-Jones JJ) 7 May 2025
Catchwords: Criminal practice – Particular offences – Accessory before the fact to constructive murder – Where foundational offence was attempted robbery armed with dangerous weapon – Whether accessory before the fact to constructive murder is an offence known to law. High Court – Special leave to appeal – Where New South Wales Court of Criminal […]
Plaintiff M19A/2024 v Minister for Immigration and Multicultural Affairs [2025] HCA 17 (10 April 2025) (Gageler CJ; Steward, Gleeson, Jagot and Beech-Jones JJ) 10 April 2025
Catchwords: High Court – Appellate jurisdiction – Practice – Reasons for judgment – Where first appellant sent Notice of Intention to Consider Cancellation ("NOICC") of visa – Where first appellant did not respond to NOICC – Where first appellant did not have legal obligation to respond to NOICC – Where delegate of respondent gave weight […]
DZY (a pseudonym) v Trustees of the Christian Brothers [2025] HCA 16 (09 April 2025) (Gageler CJ; Gordon, Edelman, Steward and Gleeson JJ) 9 April 2025
Catchwords: Statutes – Construction – Where s 27QE of Limitation of Actions Act 1958 (Vic) provides court can set aside settlement agreement for personal injury resulting from child abuse if satisfied "just and reasonable" to do so – Where appellant entered into settlement agreements for personal injury allegedly resulting from child abuse – Where settlement […]
Forestry Corporation of New South Wales v South East Forest Rescue Incorporated [2025] HCA 15 (09 April 2025) (Gageler CJ; Edelman, Steward, Jagot and Beech-Jones JJ) 9 April 2025
Catchwords: Practice and procedure – Standing – Where appellant conducts forestry operations pursuant to integrated forestry operations approval ("IFOA") – Where respondent brought civil enforcement proceedings seeking injunctive and declaratory relief – Where primary judge found respondent lacked standing because no "special interest" in subject matter of proceedings – Where Court of Appeal of Supreme […]
Cherry v Queensland [2025] HCA 14 (09 April 2025) (Gageler CJ; Gordon, Edelman, Steward, Gleeson, Jagot and Beech-Jones JJ) 9 April 2025
Catchwords: Constitutional law – Separation of powers – Judicial power – Principle established in Kable v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) (1996) 189 CLR 51 ("Kable") – Where plaintiff convicted of two counts of murder and sentenced to life imprisonment with a non-parole period of 20 years – Where body of one of murder victims […]

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