High Court confirms Facebook page operators are liable for defamatory third-party comments

Fairfax Media Publications, Nationwide News and the Australian News Channel are currently being sued for defamation in separate proceedings by Dylan Voller, a former detainee in a juvenile justice detention centre, over third-party comments made about him on their Facebook pages. Before determining whether the Facebook comments were defamatory, the NSW Supreme Court ordered that […]

Draft amendments to the UCT legislation

The expected changes to the UCT legislation are nearly upon us and have now been released in draft form. The purpose of the draft release is to provide a snapshot of the changes if the bill is passed and provide interested parties the opportunity to consult with the Treasury on the same. Given the bill […]

School successfully defends football head knock case

Mattock v State of New South Wales (New South Wales Department of Education) (No 2) [2021] NSWSC 1045 On 19 August 2021, the NSW Supreme Court dismissed a personal injury claim against a school, which followed the plaintiff’s ‘head knock’ collision with another student during a PE class. The decision was significant for insurers as it […]

D&O liability risks arising out of mining and energy decommissioning

Governments have been left to foot the bill for hundreds of millions of dollars for rehabilitation costs following high profile collapses of mining and energy companies. In response, legislation has been passed by federal, state and territory governments enabling them to pass on these costs to ‘related persons’, which could include directors and officers. In […]

NSW Supreme Court provides guidance on the insolvency test

The NSW Supreme Court recently dismissed two cases brought by various lenders against officers and employees of the failed steel giant Arrium. W+K’s Dean Pinto and Stephen Morrissey look at the useful guidance the Bank of Communications decision provides for insurers on the application of the insolvency test in section 95A of the Corporations Act […]

High Court clarifies it’s all about the employment contract

On 4 August 2021, the High Court handed down its decision in WorkPac v Rossato and unanimously and emphatically overturned the decision of the Full Federal Court. In combination with recent changes to the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth), the High Court’s decision in WorkPac provides important guidance for employers and their EPL insurers on […]

Recent actions tackle expanding ransomware threat

Ransomware has established itself as one of Australia’s fastest growing cybercrime threats. In recent months, both the Australian Government and Opposition have taken action against this serious threat, with further changes flagged. In this update, W+K cyber and privacy specialists Kieran Doyle, Samuel Hartridge and Ronny Raychaudhuri look at these developments and explore how they […]

Additional COVID-19 Rules in NSW: Construction employers’ questions answered

As construction shuts down in NSW today and tradespeople down tools as a result of further COVID-19 restrictions across Greater Sydney, there are many questions that remain unanswered. In this update, W+K’s Sian Gilbert, Chris Mossman and Chris Spain, assisted by Ella Lim, look at the options available to construction employers, including standing down employees, […]