Migration Amendment (Validation of Decisions) Bill 2017 (Cth)
Amidst the current High Court challenge to section 503A of the Migration Act 1958, the Federal Government has introduced the Migration Amendment (Validation of Decisions) Bill 2017 into Parliament with the intended effect of preserving existing section 501 character decisions, made relying on information provided by gazetted law enforcement and intelligence agencies. As it currently stands, information of this nature is protected from disclosure to Courts and Tribunals under section 503A.
In the case of ACCC v Acquire Learning & Careers Pty Ltd [2017] FCA 602 (30 May 2017), the Federal Court has ordered Acquire Learning & Careers Pty Ltd (Acquire) to pay penalties of $4.5 million for engaging in unconscionable conduct, making false or misleading representations and breaching the unsolicited consumer agreements provisions in the Australian Consumer Law (the ACL – which is contained in Sch 2 to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth)).
NSW Bill Increasing Police Powers In Terror Situations Rushed Through Parliament
The Terrorism Legislation Amendment (Police Powers and Parole) Bill 2017, which was introduced into the Legislative Assembly by Premier Gladys Berejiklian on 21 June 2017, has been passed through both houses of Parliament in the space of one day’s sitting. The Bill allows the Commissioner of Police to make a declaration that an incident to which police officers are responding is or is likely to be a terrorist act. The police will then be able to take pre-emptive action against terrorists. The Bill also makes some changes to the grant of parole for people deemed to be "terrorism related offenders"
In the case of Fair Work Ombudsman v Gaura Nitai Pty Ltd & Anor [2017] FCCA 1242 (13 June 2017), the Fair Work Ombudsman (the Ombudsman) has announced that it has recently secured more than $180,000 in penalties against a former Coffee Club café franchisee in Brisbane for contraventions including requiring an overseas worker on a 457 Skilled Worker Visa to pay back $18,000 of his wages through an unlawful cash-back payment.
The Queen v Dickman [2017] HCA 24: Probative Value of Identification Evidence
Today (21 June 2017), the High Court has unanimously allowed an appeal from the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of Victoria in the case of The Queen v Dickman [2017] HCA 24.
Rizeq v State of Western Australia [2017] HCA 23: Federal or State Laws in Jury Trials
In John Rizeq v The State of Western Australia [2017] HCA 23 (21 June 2017), the High Court of Australia has unanimously dismissed an appeal from the Court of Appeal of the Supreme Court of WA relating to two drug convictions (see Rizeq v The State of Western Australia [No 2] [2015] WASCA 165 (24 August 2015) and Rizeq v The State of Western Australia [2015] WASCA 81 (29 April 2015)) .
GAX v The Queen [2017] HCA 25: Indecent Dealings with a Minor
Today (21 June 2017) the High Court has unanimously allowed an appeal in the case of GAX v The Queen [2017] HCA 25. The Full Court allowed the appeal and set aside the conviction and entered a verdict of acquittal for the appellant, holding that count three of a series of offences relating to indecent dealings with a minor was not proven beyond reasonable doubt.
Driverless Cars Being Considered in Parliamentary Inquiry
The Standing Committee on Industry, Science and Resources is currently running an inquiry into driverless vehicles in Australia, focusing on issues surrounding social acceptance, safety of passengers and other road users, and liability issues. The Federal Government invested 12 million in a two year long programme to test advancements in GPS technology for driverless cars, known as the Satellite-based augmentation system (SBAS). In Victoria, Transurban and VicRoads are also currently testing how vehicles with limited self-driving capacity react and adapt to Victorian roads.
ACCC Commences Federal Court Action Against Thermomix
The ACCC has revealed in a recent ACCC Media Release that it has commenced proceedings in the Federal Court against Thermomix In Australia Pty Ltd (Thermomix), alleging it contravened several provisions of the Australian Consumer Law (the ACL) - contained in Sch 2 to the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth) - in relation to its Thermomix appliances.
New National Firearms Amnesty Established to Commence on 1 July 2017
On 16 June 2017, the Minister for Justice, the Hon Michael Keenan MP, announced that from 1 July 2017, there will be a National Firearms Amnesty giving all Australians an opportunity to hand in unregistered and unwanted firearms and improve community safety. According to the Media Release, this is the first nation-wide gun amnesty since 1996, when the Government took action following the the Port Arthur Massacre.
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