Oceania: Litigation, Mediation & Arbitration

Workplace messages sent through private chat platforms like WhatsApp, Teams, or Slack can give rise to defamation claims in Queensland if they communicate harmful statements about someone's reputation to even a small group of colleagues. Understanding when internal workplace communications cross the line into defamation, what defences are available, and the potential legal consequences for both individuals and employers is crucial for anyone using digital communication in professional settings.

The Federal Court has dismissed creditors' applications for interlocutory relief to restrain the effectuation of a deed of company arrangement involving a major Sydney CBD property development. The decision examines when courts will grant urgent relief in DOCA disputes, the critical importance of undertakings as to damages, and the circumstances under which a DOCA may be terminated for improper purpose.

When a worker dies from a work-related injury or illness in NSW, their dependants may be entitled to significant compensation under workers compensation law. Understanding the claims process, eligibility requirements, and available benefits is crucial for families navigating this difficult time while ensuring they receive their full legal entitlements.

Banks cannot automatically seize and sell a home after missed repayments in Queensland. Before exercising enforcement rights, lenders must comply with contractual obligations, statutory notice requirements, and court procedures, while borrowers may negotiate repayment arrangements, apply for hardship relief, refinance, voluntarily sell the property, challenge procedural defects, or rely on equitable or statutory protections.

The Supreme Court of New South Wales has ruled that insurers can deny indemnity and reduce liability to nil when an insured fails to disclose material changes in risk. This case examines how a pharmaceutical manufacturer's undisclosed pivot to hand sanitiser production during COVID-19, involving a fifteenfold increase in ethanol storage, led to a complete denial of coverage following a devastating fire.

Verbal contracts are generally legally enforceable in Queensland when essential elements like offer, acceptance, and consideration are present. The primary challenge lies not in legal validity but in proving the agreement's existence through evidence such as witness testimony, communications, and conduct. This article examines when oral agreements can be enforced, how courts assess their validity, and the common pitfalls that can undermine verbal contract claims.

Whether the respondent’s Amended Statement of Claim was sufficiently pleaded, in light of the decision of AA v The Trustees of the Roman Catholic Church for the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle [2026] HCA 2.

Workplace injuries can occur in any industry and may entitle you to workers compensation benefits. Understanding what qualifies as a workplace injury, the types of compensation available, and the critical steps to take immediately after an incident can protect your entitlements and support your recovery.

A recent Personal Injury Commission decision examines when surveillance footage can be admitted in psychiatric injury claims, potentially lowering the threshold for insurers to introduce evidence that may not fully capture the complex, fluctuating nature of psychological impairment. The ruling raises important questions about how claimants should document their limitations and whether ordinary daily activities will increasingly be characterized as inconsistencies warranting surveillance admission.

The duty of disclosure in family law proceedings is fundamental, yet disputes over whether sufficient disclosure has been provided remain common.

When serious allegations are published – intentionally, publicly and to a mass audience – the legal question is immediate and unforgiving: who must justify them? Under Australian defamation law, the answer is not the person defamed. It is the person who chose to publish.

Employees frequently commence proceedings with a pleading containing serious, damaging and untested allegations about the employer, its executives, HR decision-makers, colleagues or even third parties.