Law Report

Latest Episodes:

Fifty years of the Australian Law Reform Commission Nov 04, 2025

Show notes

The Australian Law Reform Commission is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The Law Report's Damien Carrick hosted an event in Melbourne to mark its half century.

Do we have a right to free speech in Australia? Oct 28, 2025

Show notes

The implied freedom of political communication has been at the centre of several recent high-profile court decisions. The Law Report asks: do Australians have a constitutional right to freedom of speech? And what form does it take?

FOI reform and government transparency; Prosecuting the spread of deepfakes online Oct 21, 2025

Show notes

The Federal Government says it wants to reform the Freedom of Information system - what's in the proposed changes? And is the law keeping up with the growing number of pornographic deepfake images of young people being shared online?

High Court lets police access evidence from encrypted app used in global raids Oct 14, 2025

Show notes

The High Court has unanimously upheld the use of police evidence obtained by monitoring an encrypted messaging app used by organised criminals. The decision is a huge victory for policing, but does it raise questions about the breadth of Australia's surveillance laws?

If a self-driving car crashes, who is liable? Oct 07, 2025

Show notes

As driver assistance technology become more prevalent, a persistent question remains: who is liable in the event of an accident? And looking into a future where fully driverless cars take to Australian roads: what new laws will we need?

How should wrongful convictions be compensated? Sep 30, 2025

Show notes

Queensland man Terry Irving was recently awarded $130,000 in damages for a malicious prosecution over 30 years ago. The Law Report looks at compensation for wrongful convictions in Australia and asks: do we need a better system?

Is Australia fulfilling its legal duty to act on climate change? And High Court orders return of Bolivian artefact Sep 23, 2025

Show notes

How does the recent advisory opinion handed down by the International Court of Justice shape discussions around climate change at the United Nations? And do Pacific island nations – among the most vulnerable to the impacts of global warming – believe Australia is doing enough to combat climate change?

Fifty years of PNG's independence constitution Sep 16, 2025

Show notes

Papua New Guinea is celebrating 50 years of independence from Australia. Among the country's historic achievements is the national constitution, created in the 1970s using a groundbreaking process of public consultations across PNG. Five decades on, how well has PNG's constitution served its people?

Erin Patterson mushroom murder sentence explained Sep 08, 2025

Show notes

"Your failure to exhibit any remorse pours salt into all the victims' wounds," said Judge Christopher Beale in sentencing Erin Patterson to life in prison, with a non-parole period of 33 years, for the murder of her elderly in-laws.

Dezi Freeman and 'sovereign citizens' Sep 02, 2025

Show notes

A massive manhunt for alleged police shooter Dezi Freeman is continuing in Victoria's mountainous north east. The 56-year-old, who is accused of killing two police officers, has expressed ideas linked to the 'sovereign citizen' movement. Who are sovereign citizens? And what impact are they having on Australia's justice system?

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