Law Report - Separate Stories Podcast

There are a number of avenues for those seeking compensation for family violence including the civil courts but at least one state, a mechanism for assisting survivors with compensation has come under criticism. And a South Australian law firm is selling chatbot generated wills for $150. How different is it from the will kits purchased from a newsagency, what are the safeguards and is it a way of providing a much needed service in remote communities?

A study finds that that the rich and famous are not the your usual plaintiffs when it comes to defamation cases. Nor are media companies the usual suspects when it comes to defending defamation claims. And in a time of conflict, defining what constitutes a cyber attack, a potential act of war, is tricky. So is international humanitarian law keeping up with the new battlefields of the 21st century?

Toll fines are one of the major issues dealt with in Victorian and Queensland courts, with some debts as high as $200,000. Why are such massive debts accrued and what can be done about it?

The Internet of Things are those objects that are connected to the web, such as home appliances, fitness or health devices, even some toys. But there is a dark side to this clever connectivity and data collection.

In the ACT, mediation is mandatory if you are seeking a permanent order to keep a violent ex partner away. How does it work and how successful is this unique system?

Disputes between neighbours over trees are as common as they are personal, and can get so bad that some property owners sell up to avoid conflict.

Human Rights Watch reports that prisoners with disabilities in Queensland and WA are particularly at risk of neglect and abuse. Also on the program, could an expanded American style 'slayer law', be a way to deter elder abuse?

After mulitiple run ins with regulators, the man behind the 'bonk longer' billboards has been declared bankrupt. And Gett recalcitrance, that's when a Jewish marriage falls apart and one spouse refuses to grant a religious divorce.

It's the second largest defamation damages payout in Australia. Why did the WA Supreme Court award Lloyd Rayney $2.6 million? Also, 'open disclosure', an alternative to costly and stressful medical malpractice lawsuits.

From the capital offence of stealing food to property rights and cases involving swine, an insight into how the First Fleeters managed to create what is now considered 'the land of the fair go'.

Meet the first in-house school lawyer in Australia. Vincent Shin provides legal advice to students and their families who attend a Victorian school.

Health Justice Partnerships provide legal help to hospital patients. We look at the collaboration between three major hospitals and Inner Melbourne Community Legal.

A visit to the first court in Australia to deal with criminal offenders with a gambling addiction.

A tour of Canberra exploring Australian democracy with St Kilda Primary School grade six students.

Only a small percentage of sexual assaults are reported to police and only a small percentage lead to a conviction. The South East Centre Against Sexual Assault is addressing the needs of survivors in a different way.

There are concerns that the Commonwealth Redress Scheme, one of the key recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse, will never get off the ground.

In this program, the US Supreme Court hears arguments for and against a baker refusing to make a wedding cake for a same sex couple. Also, The Family Court rules that Transgender children no longer need a judge's for permission to have irreversible medical treatment, and in light of the allegations about Don Burke's inappropriate behavior over many, many years, we ask are Australia's defamation laws too restrictive?

Sentencing is a complex and controversial area, where there are constant debates over how best to ensure transparency and consistancy. What models best help judges make informed decisions?

Overdose deaths from prescription pharmaceuticals now outstrip overdose deaths from heroin. But just who is getting addicted to prescription opioids — and what can be done?

The High Court of Australia unanimously agreed that a pre-nup signed between a Gold Coast Property developer and his fiancee was not fair or reasonable. And in 2016, 60,000 American deaths are linked to opoids. What are the regulations and policies to tackle the crisis?