Uber Drivers Are Not Employees, rules Fair Work Ombudsman
According to the ATO, “An employee works in your business and is part of your business. A contractor is running their own business.” The characterisation has allowed businesses such as Uber, Air Tasker, Ola, Deliveroo, DiDi and Menulog to deny...
Folau vs Rugby Australia: An Unfair Dismissal?
The lawyers for Australian rugby union player Israel Folau have filed proceedings in the Fair Work Commission, alleging that the basis of their client’s dismissal was unfair. In case you missed the story, the controversy surrounding Mr Folau started several...
When is it Illegal to Use A Vehicle’s Horn?
Regulation 224 of the Road Rules 2014 (NSW) states that a driver must not use, or allow to be used, a horn, or similar warning device, fitted to or in the driver’s vehicle unless: it is necessary to use the horn,...
Victims of Child Sexual Abuse Can Now Sue the Church
The ‘Ellis defence’ once prevented victims of child sexual abuse from suing unincorporated organisations such as the Catholic Church. But as of 1 January 2019, legislation came into effect which requires those organisations to nominate a defendant with sufficient funds...
High Crimes Rates Deter Residents from Pursuing Opportunities
Researchers out of the University of Colorado have found that high rates of violent crime in the local community can lead to people taking fewer risks, which can in turn reduce their living standards and negatively impact on the local...
Strip Searches: State-Perpetrated Sexual Acts
NSW police use of strip searches hasn’t just risen in recent times, but almost become routine. Over the four years ending in June 2018, its general use rose by 47 percent, while last year, 11 percent of persons in respect...
#MeToo Founder Sued for Defamation
New York based French Journalist Sandra Muller is widely credited for inspiring hundreds of other women in that nation to report being sexually harassed, after she published a Tweet accusing French television executive Eric Brion of making offensive comments towards...
Mother Imprisoned for Giving Her Kids Sleeping Tablets
An Adelaide mother who gave her children chocolate milk laced with sleeping tablets has been sentenced to a full term of three years in prison with a non-parole period of 15 months. The 47-year old mother of four, whose name...
Continuing Detention Orders in New South Wales
An application has been made to extend the prison sentence of a convicted killer and child sex offender beyond the expiry of his full term of imprisonment. 69-year old former babysitter and gardener Michael Anthony Guider was sentenced to two...
Prisons Should Focus on Treatment Rather than Punishment
A study by researchers from the University of Exeter in England has found that assessing new prison inmates for traumatic brain injury (TBI) and treating those affected can significantly reduce their likelihood of future offending. Source and effect of TBI...
