Law Report ABC listen

In a high-profile defamation case, justice Michael Lee found that former political staffer Bruce Lehrmann, on the balance of probabilities, raped his then colleague Brittany Higgins inside Parliament House in 2019.

If someone is charged with a violent crime like murder or assault, what defences can they argue? That depends on what part of Australia you live in.The Queensland Law Reform Commission is conducting a review of the criminal defences which operate in that state – some of them very controversial. Warning: this episode contains descriptions of violence, including murder, assault and domestic violence.

Next month, the Supreme Court of New South Wales marks its 200th birthday. A new book, Constant Guardian: Changing Times, tells the history of the court. In his first extensive interview since his appointment in 2022, NSW Chief Justice Andrew Bell tells Damien Carrick about some of the significant trials discussed in the book. 

The Law Report makes the law accessible.

Dividing up intellectual property rights in a divorce settlement. And the case of a mining equipment company that legally can't stop competitors from copying its invention.

The global campaign to end the misuse of non-disclosure agreements. And record damages awarded in a sexual harassment case make it clear courts won't tolerate employers who intimidate complainants.