In Wertheim v Haddad [2025] FCA 720, the Federal Court of Australia ruled that an Islamic preacher contravened section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act 1975 when he delivered and published a series of lectures relating to events in Gaza.

In Commissioner of Police (NSW Police Force) v Joshua Lees [2025] NSWSC 858, the Supreme Court of New South Wales refused an urgent application by the NSW Commissioner of Police to prohibit the March for Humanity across the Sydney Harbour Bridge organised by the Palestine Action Group Sydney.

In South East Forest Rescue Inc v Forestry Corporation of NSW (No 2) [2024] NSWCA 113, the NSW Court of Appeal held that South East Forest Rescue Incorporated (SEFR), an environmental organisation, had common law standing to bring civil enforcement proceedings against the Forestry Corporation of NSW (FCNSW) regarding alleged non-compliance with forestry approval conditions aimed at protecting threatened glider species. 

In a landmark ruling, the High Court has set an important precedent that the Commonwealth is liable to pay compensation to First Nations Peoples if their native title rights have been compromised by certain historical government decisions. In this case, this included government decisions to grant mining leases.  

In Lattouf v Australian Broadcasting Corporation (No 2) [2025] FCA 669, the Federal Court of Australia found that the ABC unlawfully terminated Antoinette Lattouf’s employment for reasons including her political opinion in contravention of s 772(1) of the Fair Work Act 2009 (Cth) and breached the ABC Enterprise Agreement 2022 – 2025 by denying her procedural fairness. The Court awarded Ms Lattouf $70,000 in compensation, with any pecuniary penalties to be determined separately. 

In the case of Police v Matthew Jones (a pseudonym) [2025] ACTMC 10 (8 May 2025), Chief Magistrate Walker exercised the Court’s implied power to control its own proceedings by setting aside subpoenas issued to child witnesses. The case establishes that Courts may take the extraordinary step of intervening in prosecutorial discretion to protect children from a special risk of psychological harm. 

Ms C Stewart v Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office: 2204590/2022. A senior UK government official turned whistleblower succeeded in a claim for unfair dismissal against her employer. 

A high-profile legal dispute involving allegations of racial discrimination and mistreatment at Hawthorn Football Club (the Club) has concluded through private settlement. The Proceeding was initiated in the Federal Court of Australia by former First Nations players, their families and intimate partners. 

On 13 March 2020, 16 young people sued the State of Montana, the Governor, the Montana Department of Environmental Quality, Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation, and the Montana Department of Transportation. Held v Montana shows how powerful a right to a healthy environment can be in combatting environmental damage from climate change.

The Game Meats Company of Australia attempted to stop Farm Transparency International Ltd from publishing a 14-minute video depicting alleged "extreme animal cruelty" obtained by a hidden camera.

On 12 November 2024, the Court of Appeal of the Hague overturned the landmark 2021 decision of the District Court of The Hague (District Court) in Milieudefensie et al v Royal Dutch Shell, which had ordered Shell to cut CO2 emissions from its global operations by 45% by the end of 2030.

The High Court of South Africa ruled that the government’s plans to add 1,500 megawatts of new coal-fired power stations were “unlawful and invalid”. In a youth-driven petition brought by three civil society organisations, the Court found that the plans failed to adequately consider the impacts of coal-fired power on children’s rights, particularly their constitutional right to a healthy environment.