The NSW Court of Appeal has appointed its first female president. Justice Margaret Beazley was appointed to the role on Wednesday 19 December 2012 by the NSW Attorney-General.

The High Court has handed down its decision in the case of Tahiri v Minister for Immigration and Citizenship [2012] HCA 61, finding that the Minister for Immigration and Citizenship did not err in refusing a combined application for a Subclass 202 Refugee and Humanitarian (Class XB) visa by the plaintiff's mother and her four dependent children.

The High Court has handed down its judgment in the case of New South Wales v Williamson [2012] HCA 57, ruling that the appeal be dismissed with costs.

In Ashby v Commonwealth of Australia (No 4) [2012] FCA 1411 (12 December 2012) Rares J has thrown out the Ashby sexual harassment claims in an emphatic judgement which among other things says:

“I am satisfied that these proceedings are an abuse of the process of the Court.  The originating application was used by Mr Ashby for the predominant purpose of causing significant public, reputational and political damage to Mr Slipper.  It contained the scandalous and irrelevant 2003 allegations and assertion about intended reporting of the Cabcharge allegations to the police.  To allow these proceedings to remain in the Court would bring the administration of justice into disrepute among right-thinking people and would be manifestly unfair to Mr Slipper.”