The Abbott Government has appointed to the High Court the Federal Court judge Michelle Gordon, who last month was part of a full bench that struck down the Coalition's attempt to exclude foreign workers on offshore resources projects from Australian labour standards.
A Federal Circuit Court judge has slammed a barrister who said she was too "busy" to file written submissions in an adverse action case, criticising her conduct as "contemptuous" of his orders and "discourteous" to the court. He also said her involvement in another case might require investigation by "relevant authorities".
The Federal Circuit Court has found it has the discretion to make costs orders against lawyers in industrial matters, despite the absence of any such power in the Fair Work Act.
There is "no substance" to the claims of inconsistent FWC decision-making that have underpinned calls for an independent appeal mechanism, according to the tribunal's president, Justice Iain Ross.
The NSW IRC's ability to include redundancy provisions in public sector awards that are potentially in conflict with the state government's employment policies has been restored by the Court of Appeal.
