Michael Eburn, PhD, is associated with publications focusing on legal issues related to emergency services, industrial relations, and public safety in Australia. The content often analyzes court decisions, regulatory frameworks, and legal disputes involving fire and rescue services, paramedics, and related unions. Topics include unfair dismissal cases, ministerial powers in emergency services, liability and safety regulations in rural fire contexts, and legal responses to emergency incidents. The publications provide detailed commentary on procedural and substantive legal matters affecting emergency personnel and organizations, highlighting the intersection of law, public safety, and employment relations.
Today’s correspondent asks about enforcing the need for fire breaks in Western Australia. They say:
As a fire manager we find that local governments that are responsible for the enforcing & infringing of Firebreak notices are very reluctant – or believe they…
Today’s correspondent is
… a Paramedic in regional NSW in an area that has a high workload of mental health. The declared mental health facility for the area regularly has mental health patients being watched by NSW health hospital security…
In R v Phillips [2026] NSWDC 278 Judge Bourke sitting as the NSW District Court sentenced the defendant for ‘an offence under s 474.22(1) of the Commonwealth Criminal Code 1995, being an offence involving the transmission, or causing to be transmitted, child abuse…
Today’s correspondent asks:
Does doing overtime and double shifts etc expose the healthcare professional to no support from their employer and/or professional indemnity protections when errors are made, especially medication errors or critical procedures gone wrong? Does having a vehicle…
Paramedicine Board of Australia v Sallery [2026] WASAT 88 reports on the short career of Mr Sallery.
On 27 January 2021 Mr Sallery was registered as a paramedic ([12]). On 4 May 2021 he began his first job as part of…
Today’s correspondent from NSW says:
In the country areas, quite often volunteer firefighters respond to an incident wearing only part of their PPE, usually a jacket and helmet, having just rushed from a farming operation to get on the truck.…
I have been asked whether Tasmania police can direct the master of a commercial vessel to respond to an emergency and who will be responsible if something goes wrong.
The Navigation Act 1912 (Cth)
The current (1974) version of International…
In Andrews v Commissioner, Fire and Rescue NSW; Murrell v Commissioner, Fire and Rescue NSW [2026] NSWIRComm 1062 the Industrial Relations Commission heard two cases of alleged unfair dismissal brought by two retained firefighters at the Branxton-Greta Fire station. Both were…
I have previously reported on the impact of domestic violence allegations on health professional registration; see
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I have previously written on the use of force to enter premises to rescue someone or to provide emergency medical care – see for example:
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