Re: G2 [2021] FWCA 98 (on AUSTLII) is a first instance decision following on from and applying the approach of Watts J in Re Imogen (No 6) (2020) 61 Fam LR 344. The effect of Re Imogen was summarised as below. However in this matter the first respondent (which seems in effect to be the clinic providing gender dysphoria treatment) was joined and submitted (at [37]) that the Court should exercise its welfare jurisdiction…

A Monash University study into the concept of egg freezing as an employee benefit has revealed almost half of the 656 Victorian women surveyed believe it would be appropriate for employers to have it on offer. However, while some participants saw the potential for employer-sponsored egg freezing to increase and support women’s reproductive and career options, others were concerned it could pressure women to delay childbearing, reinforce the career vs. family dichotomy and exacerbate existing…

With effect from earlier this month (5 July 2021), Queensland implemented an amendment to its Criminal Code and other legislation by way of the Criminal Code (Child Sexual Offences Reform) and Other Legislation Amendment Act 2020. A detailed information page for the legislation explains as follows. From 5 July 2021, a new law will makes it an offence (maximum penalty 3 years imprisonment) for any adult not to report sexual offending against a child…

A contempt of court issue arose in One Insurance Ltd v Beasley (High Court UK), arising from the involvement of B in a road traffic accident. The Court noted: 3. The claim grew and included claims of injuries to shoulder, neck, back with widespread pain to the right side of the body and in addition Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder. The presentation by Mr Beasley to the medical legal experts in the case was of…

A fascinating article comparing the US and Australian positions by Robert Angyal and Nicholas Saady: Legal Lying. Rather than carefully curating  lawyers’ social media profiles, we suggest that a better approach to building public trust in lawyers would be revocation of  the American Bar Association rule that allows lawyers to lie when negotiating.  Yes, astonishingly, a disciplinary rule promulgated by the ABA (Model Rule 4.1(a)) allows lawyers to lie about non-material facts when negotiating…

Neil Foster has helpfully drawn attention to a decision of Justice Lee, to to appoint an “assessor” to help him understand complex scientific evidence in a case which must decide whether Roundup products are carcinogenic, such that exposure to Roundup products increases the risk of developing personal injury, relevantly, Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma. McNickle v Huntsman Chemical Company Australia Pty Ltd (Assessors) [2021] FCA 780 is available on the Federal Court website. The judgment addresses the power to…

Abbasi & Anor v Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust [2021] EWHC 1699 (Admin) (available on BAILII) is an interesting decision involving two children who had since died The Court opened by explaining: The focus of this judgment is upon the jurisdiction, if any, that the High Court Family Division has to maintain a Reporting Restriction Order (‘RRO’) prohibiting the naming of any medical clinicians as being involved in the care and treatment of…