JUDGES – NEW SOUTH WALES

Judges urged to report concerns

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Nicola Berkovic
The Australian – Page: 7 : 3-Jul-20

The New South Wales Supreme Court has issued a new policy on unacceptable workplace conduct, covering issues such as sexual harassment, discrimination and bullying. It applies to judges and ­judicial staff, and encourages judges and staff to report unacceptable workplace conduct or suspected misconduct. The policy has been introduced in the wake of sexual harassment allegations raised against former High Court judge Dyson Heydon, and includes the appointment of an external consultant to investigate complaints of unacceptable workplace conduct against judges and other judicial staff.

CORPORATES
SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES, HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA

Defamation laws need overhaul: judge

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Marianna Papadakis
The Australian Financial Review – Page: 32 : 24-Jul-15

New South Wales District Court judge Judith Gibson notes that social media has contributed to a rise in defamation lawsuits in Australia. Justice Gibson says federal Treasurer Joe Hockey’s case against Fairfax Media demonstrates the need for reforms to defamation laws. She argues that the definition of what constitutes a publication needs to be reconsidered in the digital age, while rules governing the awarding of damages need to be revised in order to discourage minor claims.

CORPORATES
DISTRICT COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA. DEPT OF THE TREASURY, FAIRFAX MEDIA LIMITED – ASX FXJ, MINTER ELLISON, FEDERAL COURT OF AUSTRALIA, TWITTER INCORPORATED, FACEBOOK INCORPORATED

Serial litigant’s bid against judge fails

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Michaela Whitbourn
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 9 : 13-Oct-14

New South Wales (NSW) Attorney-General Brad Hazzard is seeking to have serial litigant Tosson Mahmoud banned from launching any further cases without the express consent of the courts, drawing on the Vexatious Proceedings Act. The matter will be heard on 9 March 2015, and in October 2014 Mahmoud has applied to have Supreme Court of NSW judge Monika Schmidt excuse herself. He argues she will be biased against him due to his well-known views on women in positions of authority. Schmidt has rebuffed the move

CORPORATES
SUPREME COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES, NEW SOUTH WALES. DEPT OF ATTORNEY GENERAL AND JUSTICE, INDUSTRIAL RELATIONS COMMISSION OF NEW SOUTH WALES

Top judge takes aim at mandatory sentences

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Michaela Whitbourn
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 8 : 6-Aug-14

New South Wales (NSW) District Court Chief Justice Reg Blanch will retire on 7 August 2014, as required to at age 72. He has criticised the NSW Government’s decision to roll out mandatory sentences for offences such as "one-punch kills". Blanch has been a criminal lawyer and served as the first director of public prosecutions in NSW, appointed in 1987. He is widely credited with improvements to the processes at the court during his time as judge, and will now be chair of the Serious Offenders Review Council advising the Parole Board

CORPORATES
DISTRICT COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES, NEW SOUTH WALES. STATE PAROLE AUTHORITY, NEW SOUTH WALES. DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC PROSECUTIONS, NEW SOUTH WALES. SERIOUS OFFENDERS REVIEW COUNCIL, AUSTRALIAN LABOR PARTY

Judge says child abuse like gay sex

roymorgansocial Leave a comment

Original article by Louise Hall
The Sydney Morning Herald – Page: 1 : 10-Jul-14

New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal judges Arthur Emmett, Derek Price and Elizabeth Fullerton have not yet ruled on an application by Crown prosecutor Sally Dowling SC. She wants District Court judge Garry Neilson to be replaced in the case of a man who has pleaded not guilty to sexual intercourse without consent. The accused had sexually abused his sister as a child and again when she was an adult. Neilson argued that a jury may nowadays see the latter as no longer unnatural, and likened incest to homosexuality. The Adults Surviving Child Abuse group has condemned the comments

CORPORATES
DISTRICT COURT OF NEW SOUTH WALES, COURT OF CRIMINAL APPEAL (NEW SOUTH WALES), ADULTS SURVIVING CHILD ABUSE