Bringing an end to the Christian Porter v ABC defamation case (at least for now with the way appeals and private actions are shaping up), the Federal Court of Australia has ordered that 27 pages of material will be permanently removed from the court file. While the order ensures this material will be stored away and not completely destroyed, the public and media have effectively been shut out of it forever. 

2: WA Bar sides with Julian Burnside over controversial tweet

In a now-deleted tweet, prominent barrister Julian Burnside likened Israel’s treatment of the Palestinians to Nazi Germany, sparking severe backlash from leaders in the Jewish community – and senator Sarah Henderson who called for his name to be removed from the roll. Ms Henderson’s calls have been met with ire from the Western Australian Bar Association, which has criticised her for effectively moving against free speech. 

3: The future of #auslaw is female

With the percentage of women in law higher than ever before, more firms are implementing diversity and gender parity measures to ensure female solicitors get equal chances to succeed. In this interview, Lawyers Weekly spoke to four female leaders on what the industry can do for women and where their future lies. 

4: Court rules that AI systems can be named inventors

In a world-first, a court has ruled that artificial intelligence systems can be named as inventors of a patent. The finding will mean removing the risk of false attribution to a human when the true inventor is an AI, which could invalidate the patent. 

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5: ‘We need to do things differently’: What the new family law system will look like following the major court merger

Come September, the Federal Circuit and Family Court of Australia will look very different, starting with a faster and less costly family law system. Despite some heavy criticisms from the wider legal profession, Chief Justice Will Alstergren promises that families, victims of family violence and other clients will be better off. 

6: Bernard Collaery prosecution breaching rule of law, ABA says

With little progress and next to no public scrutiny, the Australian Bar Association has called on Attorney-General Michaelia Cash to urgently reconsider the prosecution of Bernard Collaery in the interest of preserving confidence in the justice system. 

7: New workplace practices to guide firms through sexual harassment and discrimination at recruitment stage

NSW law firms are being encouraged to implement a new workplace guide around sexual harassment and discrimination within employment and recruitment practices to foster fairer, diverse and more inclusive legal workplaces. 

8: Why firms should overhaul their WFH policy

While the pandemic has paved the way for greater WFH opportunities, firms need to establish new practices, policies, and regulations to accompany them. In this interview, Maureen Kyne & Associates principal Maureen Kyne shares that organisations need to implement practices that reflect long-term requirements. 

9: ‘It’s high pressure’: What working on a royal commission is really like

On a new episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, Holding Redlich partner and winner of the BigLaw Partner of the Year category at last year’s Women in Law Awards, Alexander Tighe, explained what working on royal commissions is actually like and reflected on what she’s learnt from the experience. 

10: 2021 Australian Law Awards postponed until December

In light of continuing lockdowns in Greater Sydney, Lawyers Weekly will host this year’s Australian Law Awards in December. Learn about the new date here.