Law Report - Separate Stories Podcast

Malaysia's complex politics and legal systems are shaped by the nation's ethnic and religious diversity. How religious and government authorities categorise you can have a huge impact on your life. Meet a Muslim feminist slam poet, a Hindu mother who won a landmark court case, a transgender activist and a government minister.

Social media can be useful connecting people and ideas but moderators are needed to keep disturbing and toxic material off the platforms. Chris Gray, a former Facebook moderator claims viewing such content in order to keep us safe, gave him PTSD. He's the lead plaintiff in an action against Facebook and CPL, the contracting company that employed him. *And a warning this program discusses disturbing material*

Can persons of Aboriginal heritage who are not citizens be deported? In the cases of Brendan Thoms and Daniel Love, the majority of the High Court says no. And, the High Court rules that illegally obtained video evidence of serious animal cruelty is not admissible in a prosecution involving the training of greyhounds. Why?

The impact of this summer's bushfires has been devastating. What is less clear are the health consequences of smoke inhalation and the legal implications for employers. Some recent Australian and international court cases may provide a guide.

The case of the Gold Coast sales assistant injured in a jewellery store robbery and the case of the Brisbane teacher who was injured falling from a rope-swing while on a school trip to Vanuatu.

Unlike other states, it's common for victims of crime to give evidence at a Victorian committal hearing. The state's Law Reform Commission is currently considering how well this system works. While victim advocates want big changes, defence lawyers say committals are an important filter.

Sit in on a Rangatahi, one of the Maori Youth Courts of New Zealand. Find out how they compare to Indigenous courts in Australia.

Come on a tour of Korowai Manaaki Youth Residence in Auckland. Meet the troubled young offenders and the people who care for them. What can we learn from NZ and what can they learn from us?

It was a case of 'guilty by social media' when a burglar's twelve day, $58,000 crime spree was brought undone by his glaring digital fingerprints.

In an Australian first highly trained Labradors are supporting vulnerable witnesses in Victorian criminal trials.

A global study across 135 countries by the International Bar Association has found that bullying and sexual harassment is widespread in the legal profession. The report makes a number of recommendations to change the culture and work environment in the law office. NB* This program was first broadcast 20 August 2019.

As bushfires sweep across NSW, emergency services continue to battle the blazes. In areas where the immediate danger has passed there are a range of other organisations supporting those affected, including giving legal advice. Also, how and why family violence services use private security companies to protect vulnerable women. New research is highlighting the benefits and the risks.

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

How does a public servant decide whether someone is a refugee? And is it better to grant an asylum seeker protection when they don't need it, or to deny them protection when they do?

How should you punish someone who has committed two very different crimes at the same time? That's the dilemma before the High Court, which is considering extending the prison term of a Melbourne woman who killed three of her seven children by driving her car into a lake.

If you fill a law firm or court room with more lawyers from a wider range of backgrounds, will it automatically become a more inclusive one to work in? Panel discussion organised by the Asian Australian Lawyers Association and the Muslim Legal Network held at Ashurst Melbourne.

National Prison Radio, the world's first national 24 hour radio station produced by and for prisoners beams into all jail cells across England and Wales.

Up to 40,000 people across Australia will seek compensation from the Commonwealth over land contamination from chemicals leached from Defence Department bases into nearby properties and waterways. Residents and businesses claim the contamination has left them trapped in devalued properties with water they can't drink or land they can't fully use. It will be the largest ever open class action in Australia.

One in ten incidents of family violence are committed by adolescents. Most of the violence is carried out by young males towards their mothers and involves verbal and physical abuse, coercive and controlling behaviours, financial abuse, stalking and property damage. Are our legal and social responses adequate?

A Border Force Officer diagnosed with PTSD is in danger of having his Comcare payments suspended partly because surveillance footage recorded him walking his therapy dog, buying milk and looking happy while speaking on his mobile. How fair is our worker's compensation system, especially when it comes to claims for psychiatric injuries?