Episode notes
The criminal trial of former radio broadcaster Alan Jones has begun in the Local Court in Sydney.
Law Report
by ABC Australia · English · News
From courtroom dramas to miscarriages of justice, to how the law affects you — and so much more. The Law Report is your accessible guide to the big legal stories unfolding in Australia and across the world.
More from Law Report
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14 Aug 2026
02 | The will written on a frozen fish packet
A frozen fish packet. An unsent text. A tractor fender. Courts have accepted all of these as valid wills. You want to write a will and make sure that your assets go to those who you think deserve your generosity. So, how can you make sure the will is binding? Does it need to be a formal document, printed out and signed with a pen? Or can a valid will be a word document, an email or text message? Can it be written on a frozen fish packet or the wall in your home? Wills expert Professor Pru Vines of UNSW walks through the strangest cases courts have accepted, including a British man who left…
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14 Aug 2026
03 | He worked the farm for decades and got nothing
You work the family farm your whole life, then it's left to someone else. When drafting a will, the law says you don't have to be fair or equal in deciding who will receive your estate. So, after you pass away, can disgruntled family members or friends challenge your will in the courts? Conflicts over inheritance arise in many families but are particularly fraught and complex in farming families. Andrew Lawson of the Australian Centre for Agriculture and Law at the University of New England explains why the farm behaves almost like a third party in the family, and how the courts weigh need…
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14 Aug 2026
04 | Asked to be an executor? What you're really signing up for
If a relative asks you to be the executor of their will, should you accept? What can go wrong and what do you need to know before you agree to take on the role? When disputes arise, executors are the ones left to clean up the mess, often navigating difficult family dynamics. And saying yes to being an executor can make you personally liable for someone else's debts. Sydney lawyer Donal Griffin explains what the job involves, from settling the deceased's tax and debts to the risk of being held personally liable if you distribute too soon and a claim lands months later. He also covers the…
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4 Aug 2026 · 29 min
How should the law respond to cults and groups that coerce and control?
The Victorian parliament has published a groundbreaking inquiry into the recruitment methods and impacts of cults and organised fringe groups. Among the inquiry's recommendations are world-first laws to criminalise coercive control behaviours by groups.
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28 Jul 2026 · 29 min
The legacy of William Ah Ket, Australia's first lawyer of Chinese descent
It's 150 years since the birth of William Ah Ket, Australia's first lawyer of Chinese descent. He was involved in two significant legal victories that kicked back against laws that discriminated against Asian Australians in the early 20th century. The Law Report explores the life and career of this remarkable Australian, his achievements and how his legacy resonates today.
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21 Jul 2026 · 29 min
Fifty years of 'no-fault' divorce in Australia
This year marks 50 years of the Family Law Act – legislation that revolutionised the way Australians divorce. Two former family law judges sit down with Damien Carrick to revisit a time before no-fault divorce, when unhappy spouses often employed private detectives to prove adultery.
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6 Oct 2026 · 29 min
Rogue OpenAI agents hacked into Medicare, is it a crime?
When OpenAI agents gained unauthorised access to the Medicare data portal, Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said he was extremely concerned about the privacy breach. But are there any legal consequences? Could OpenAI be prosecuted for the hack? Could it be liable in a civil action? As this technology develops at breakneck speed, we discuss what guardrails are necessary to keep people and data safe in the age of AI and social media.
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29 Sep 2026 · 29 min
Should smart glasses be banned in public places?
Concerns over privacy breaches linked to smart glasses are seeing authorities around Australia move to restrict where they can be used. Western Australia has announced a complete ban in public schools, which takes effect next month. Local councils are also taking action, with the City of Randwick in Sydney investigating whether it can prohibit smart glasses at public beaches. And the Federal Government is considering restriction in Commonwealth workplaces. But how effective is regulation at this level and do we need a different type of legal response? Also in this episode: if you don't pay…
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22 Sep 2026 · 29 min
Is influencing someone to end their life a crime in Australia?
The Victorian government has pledged to implement a raft of reforms around domestic and family violence if it is re-elected in November. One promise is to introduce a new manslaughter offence in cases where a person is found to have taken their own life due to family violence. So, is it currently possible to convict a person of murder or manslaughter if they goad or encourage their partner to die by suicide? This has happened in Britain and the United States. And right now, Adelaide woman Jacinta Ann Drust is facing charges of murder and unlawful killing over the death of her boyfriend…
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15 Sep 2026 · 29 min
The rapid rise of AI use in employment law disputes
A Sydney computing academic made headlines when he won a landmark case at the Fair Work Commission by relying entirely on artificial intelligence. The Law Report explores concerns over the rapid rise in the use of AI by self-represented litigants in employment law disputes.
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