Public Sector and Education

Thought Leadership

Federal or State? Understanding the Powers and Limits of Royal Commissions

By: Georgie Austin, Clare McNamara and Zoe Jones At a glance On 8 January 2026, the Governor-General issued draft Letters Patent establishing a Royal Commission on Antisemitism and Social Cohesion. The Commission has been tasked with addressing issues set out in its Terms of Reference, which are wide-ranging and encompass not only the terror event itself, […]

By : Joshua Weiler Jan 22, 2026 Comments Off

Thought Leadership

Climate litigation in Australia: History, developments and strategic trends

By: Amanda Beattie, James Clohesy and Zoe Jones At a glance This is the second article in our series examining climate change litigation and forecasting emerging trends in the Australian market. Our first article surveyed the global litigation landscape and identified key themes that will shape future disputes. This article turns to Australia, outlining the […]

By : Joshua Weiler Dec 11, 2025 Comments Off

Thought Leadership

Mapping the current international climate change landscape

By: Amanda Beattie and Zoe Jones At a glance According to the Grantham Research Institute’s recent Global Trends in Climate Change Litigation: 2025 Snapshot report, in 2024 Australia was second only to the United States in terms of the number of claims made relating to climate. Litigation is inevitably a driver of climate action and […]

By : Joshua Weiler Nov 7, 2025 Comments Off

Articles

What is actual knowledge? Essential risk management strategies for councils

By: Lesley Woodmore, Sam McNally and Tenielle Corcoran Willis v Orange City Council [2025] NSWDC 208 Note: Wotton Kearney has prepared this as part of our Statewide Mutual Risks Conference 2025 coverage – be sure to visit us in Sydney. For more insights like this, explore our Local Government hub. Overview On 9 July 2020, […]

By : Joshua Weiler Aug 27, 2025 Comments Off

Articles

RMA changes set to reshape statutory liability cover

By: Misha Henaghan and Matt Hutcheson As part of New Zealand Government’s planned reform of the Resource Management Act 1991 (RMA), the first major step is the introduction of the Resource Management (Consenting and Other System Changes) Amendment Bill (Bill). The Bill proposes a range of changes to consenting and planning rules, and two important […]

By : Joshua Weiler Aug 18, 2025 Comments Off

WK News

Wotton Kearney expands Canberra team further with addition of senior government employment law expert

Wotton Kearney continues to build momentum in its government team with the appointment of Special Counsel, Kirsty Easdale, a seasoned employment and industrial relations expert with more than a decade of experience advising Commonwealth government agencies. Kirsty joins the firm from MinterEllison, bringing significant expertise in complex employment law, industrial relations strategy, discrimination, and work […]

By : Joshua Weiler Aug 7, 2025 Comments Off

WK News

Wotton Kearney strengthens government practice expertise with appointment of John McPherson

Wotton Kearney announces the appointment of experienced government litigator John McPherson as Special Counsel in its Canberra office, reinforcing the firm’s expanding national government practice. With over 15 years advising Commonwealth agencies and commercial clients, John joins the firm following extensive experience at Clayton Utz and MinterEllison, bringing deep expertise in public law, regulatory disputes, […]

By : Joshua Weiler Jul 31, 2025 Comments Off

Articles

NSW Court of Appeal confirms school’s duty of care extends beyond the bell

By: Greg Carruthers-Smith, Meisha Tjiong and Chad Farah State of New South Wales v T2 (by his tutor T1) [2025] NSWCA 165 At a glance In October 2017, a Year 9 student was violently assaulted by his peers shortly after the school bell, and outside school boundaries, sustaining significant injuries. The New South Wales Court of […]

By : Joshua Weiler Jul 28, 2025 Comments Off

Articles

To care, or not to care: when does a public agency owe a private duty?

By: Patrick Thompson and James Clohesy At a glance The UK Supreme Court has delivered another judgment dealing with when a public authority can owe a private duty of care to members of the public. The decision reaffirms what is becoming a bright line distinction in the UK between cases where the public authority, by […]

By : Joshua Weiler Nov 1, 2024 Comments Off

Case Alerts

Stay applications in a post-GLJ world

By: Richard Leder, Samantha Saad and Michelle Rich Domenic Colbert (a pseudonym) v Trustees of the Christian Brothers [2024] VSC 309 At a glance On 13 June 2024, the Supreme Court of Victoria delivered its decision in Domenic Colbert (a pseudonym) v Trustees of the Christian Brothers [2024] VSC 309, dismissing the defendant’s application for a […]

By : joanna li Jun 27, 2024 Comments Off

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