We recently caught up with Patrick Thompson, Partner at Wotton Kearney, to learn more about his story and what drives his work. Pat has built a career at the intersection of public sector law and complex claims management, representing Government agencies through matters that are rarely simple – from coronial inquests and abuse claims to […]
By: Amanda Beattie, Charu Stevenson and Zoe Jones Overview In the first two articles in this series (here and here), we examined the rapid expansion of climate-related litigation globally and traced how those international developments are reshaping the Australian litigation landscape. Climate litigation is no longer confined to environmental approvals or public law challenges, but […]
Over 1,000 class actions filed, $1.5 billion in settlements, and a landmark Robodebt settlement that made history. 2025 was a milestone year for class actions in Australia, and 2026 is shaping up to be just as consequential. Our class actions experts unpack some key developments and trend themes in their latest article – Class Actions […]
By: Meisha Tjiong, Cindy Lim and William Yeo AA v the Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church for the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle This morning the High Court of Australia delivered a significant judgment expanding the principles of non-delegable duties and having wide-ranging impact for child abuse claims. Background AA commenced proceedings in the Supreme Court of NSW seeking damages from the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle (Diocese) arising from […]
By: Kirsty Easdale and Chelsea Leet At a glance From 6 May 2026, Commonwealth agencies can apply directly to Courts for workplace protection orders to protect workers from personal violence connected to their duties, removing the need for staff to seek state-based orders themselves. The scheme has broad application (including against members of the public […]
By: Georgie Austin, Clare McNamara and Zoe Jones At a glance On 8 January 2026, the Governor-General issued draft Letters Patent establishing a Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion. The Commission has been tasked with addressing issues set out in its Terms of Reference, which are wide-ranging and encompass not only the terror event itself, […]
By: Amanda Beattie, James Clohesy and Zoe Jones At a glance This is the second article in our series examining climate change litigation and forecasting emerging trends in the Australian market. Our first article surveyed the global litigation landscape and identified key themes that will shape future disputes. This article turns to Australia, outlining the […]
By: Amanda Beattie and Zoe Jones At a glance According to the Grantham Research Institute’s recent Global Trends in Climate Change Litigation: 2025 Snapshot report, in 2024 Australia was second only to the United States in terms of the number of claims made relating to climate. Litigation is inevitably a driver of climate action and […]
By: Catherine Hing and Cassandra Wills At a glance Omnipresent exposure across multiple industries: Microplastics emanate from manufacturing, construction, automotive, textile, cosmetic and other sectors, with scientific studies confirming their presence in the human body and organs, potentially linking them to respiratory disorders, neurological symptoms and other health issues. Early litigation has focused on misleading […]
We recently caught up with Demi Peters, Special Counsel in Wotton Kearney’s General Liability and Government practice, to hear how she’s trailblazing WK’s growth in Tasmania. Demi advises on General Liability matters – including public liability, catastrophic injuries, fatal accidents, workers compensation recovery, CTP claims and coronial inquests, and works with government and statutory entities […]
