Court Hears

Home secretary is challenging high court decision that PA’s proscription interfered with freedom of speechThe ban on Palestine Action has created a “culture of fear” among those campaigning for Palestinian rights and judges were right to deem it unlawful, the court of appeal has heard.Shabana Mahmood is challenging the high court’s decision in February that Palestine Action’s proscription, the first of a direct action protest group, represented a “very significant interference” with the rights to freedom of speech and assembly. It also found that the ban, which remains in place pending the appeal, was a breach of the home secretary’s own policy on proscription. Continue reading...

Lawyer for DoJ argued actions taken in public while in possession of a smartphone afforded no expectation of privacyThe US supreme court is considering whether sprawling warrants for smartphone location data infringe on Americans’ privacy rights and violate the constitution.Justices heard opening arguments in Chatrie v United States on Monday that concerned law enforcement’s reliance on so-called “geofence warrants” in difficult cases. The case was originally brought by Okello Chatrie, whose phone location data helped police in Richmond, Virginia, track him down after he robbed a bank at gunpoint and escaped with $195,000 in 2019. Chatrie pleaded guilty to armed robbery and was sentenced to 12 years in prison, but his lawyers argue none of the evidence against him should have been admissible in court. Continue reading...

Charlotte MacInnes, who is suing Wilson for defamation, says social media post from Ramona Agruma-Wilson featuring animated character Dory, made her feel ‘awful’Follow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA rising star who is suing Rebel Wilson says she felt mocked by the Hollywood actor’s wife appearing to reference her testimony in a social media post.Charlotte MacInnes launched defamation proceedings against the Pitch Perfect star over social media posts that claimed she had made a sexual harassment complaint and retracted it to further her career. Continue reading...

Wilson is being sued for defamation by actor Charlotte MacInnes over social media posts alleging a sexual harassment complaintGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastRebel Wilson was labelled “nuts” by a PR team she allegedly hired to create websites attacking a co-producer of her directorial debut, a court has heard.The Pitch Perfect actor directed, co-produced and acted in The Deb, a musical comedy set in rural NSW that remained unreleased for two years due to legal disputes. Continue reading...

Teen who allegedly targeted Jewish community members thrived on notoriety and was invested in social media reaction to her alleged offending, police sayFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA 13-year-old charged with a string of offences including allegedly swerving a stolen car towards members of the Jewish community looked up the punishment for running someone over after hitting a cyclist, a court has heard.The 13-year-old, who cannot be identified for legal reasons, appeared on Monday in a Victorian children’s court seeking bail. Continue reading...

Jayson Joseph Michaels allegedly planned attack on police headquarters, Parliament House and mosquesFollow our Australia news live blog for latest updatesGet our breaking news email, free app or daily news podcastA man accused of plotting a mass casualty terror attack targeting public buildings and places of worship believed his assault would be worse than the Bondi beach mass shootings, a court has heard.Jayson Joseph Michaels detailed his alleged plan for a violent assault on Western Australia police headquarters, WA Parliament House and mosques in a diary, the Perth magistrates court was told during a failed bid for bail on Wednesday. Continue reading...

• The Supreme Court heard oral arguments on Wednesday, April 1, 2026, in Trump v. Barbara, a case challenging the constitutionality of birthright citizenship under the 14th Amendment. • President Donald Trump attended the arguments in person, making him the first sitting president to observe Supreme Court oral arguments, according to historians cited by Politico. • The case centers on Trump's executive order on birthright citizenship, with the Court expected to issue a ruling later in the term that could fundamentally alter citizenship eligibility in the United States.