On 12 November 2024, the Court of Appeal of the Hague overturned the landmark 2021 decision of the District Court of The Hague (District Court) in Milieudefensie et al v Royal Dutch Shell, which had ordered Shell to cut CO2 emissions from its global operations by 45% by the end of 2030.

The High Court of South Africa ruled that the government’s plans to add 1,500 megawatts of new coal-fired power stations were “unlawful and invalid”. In a youth-driven petition brought by three civil society organisations, the Court found that the plans failed to adequately consider the impacts of coal-fired power on children’s rights, particularly their constitutional right to a healthy environment.

A young breastfeeding mother was found to have been discriminated against by her employer and awarded $90,000 in compensation.

On 29 August 2024, the Coroner handed down her findings in the inquest into the death of AS.

The High Court on 11 September 2024 overturned a decision made by the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Victoria regarding issues of criminal procedure. The issue of criminal procedure concerned a meeting between the complainant, the judge, and counsel for both the prosecution and the accused (the accused being the respondent to this appeal) on the day before the judge presided over a special hearing to take the evidence of the complainant.

The Victorian County Court has recognised invasion of privacy as an actionable right under Australian common law which allowed the plaintiff to obtain relief for harm caused by information disclosed but not otherwise captured by alternate causes of action.

Faruqi v Hanson [2024] FCA 1264 In the much publicised case of Australian Tax Office (ATO)whistleblower Richard Boyle, the South Australian Court of Appeal has found that the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 (Cth) (the Act) does not provide whistleblowers with immunity from criminal, civil or administrative liability for actions taken in gathering evidence to support public interest disclosures (PID). 

Boyle v Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) [2024] SASCA 73 In the much publicised case of Australian Tax Office (ATO) whistleblower Richard Boyle, the South Australian Court of Appeal has found that the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 (Cth) (the Act) does not provide whistleblowers with immunity from criminal, civil or administrative liability for actions taken in gathering evidence to support public interest disclosures (PID). 

Munkara v  Santos Na Barossa Pty Ltd (No 4) [2024] FCA 414The Federal Court of Australia (the Court) has upheld a subpoena to produce documents issued against three civil society organisations. These organisations are now required to produce internal documents and are at risk of having to pay a large corporation’s costs in association with proceedings that they were not a party to.   

Panazzolo v Don’s Mechanical and Diesel Service Pty Ltd [2023] FEDCFAMC2G 665Mark Panazzolo (the employee), a diesel mechanic, was successful in his claim against his former employer, Don’s Mechanical and Diesel Service Pty Ltd (Don’s Auto/the employer), for disability-based discrimination.  

Tickle v Giggle for Girls Pty Ltd (No 2) [2024] FCA 960On 23 August, the Federal Court found that ‘Giggle for Girls’ had indirectly discriminated against a transgender woman by excluding her from an app which was designed as a ‘women-only safe space.’ This is the first court decision that determined that the Sex Discrimination Act 1984 (Cth) (SDA) protects transgender women from discrimination on the basis of their gender identity. 

Cotterill v Romanes [2023] VSCA 7 On 8 February 2023, the Victorian Court of Appeal dismissed an appeal from Cotterill v Romanes [2013] VSC 498.The Court of Appeal held that directions made in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic under the emergency powers in the Public Health and Wellbeing Act 2008 (Vic) (PHW Act) did not impermissibly burden the freedom of political communication implied in the Commonwealth Constitution.