Fifty years of the Australian Law Reform Commission

Fifty years of the Australian Law Reform Commission

Author: ABC Australia November 4, 2025 Duration: 29:04
The Australian Law Reform Commission is celebrating its 50th anniversary. The Law Report's Damien Carrick hosted an event in Melbourne to mark its half century.

Produced by ABC Australia, Law Report digs into the legal frameworks and courtroom decisions that shape society. This isn't just a summary of headlines; it's a deep, thoughtful examination of how legislation and judicial rulings filter into everyday life, affecting everything from personal liberties to national policy. Each episode unpacks complex issues with clarity, moving beyond the sensational to explain the real human stakes behind high-profile cases and legislative changes. You'll hear directly from legal experts, journalists, and sometimes those personally entangled in the system, providing a grounded perspective on abstract principles. The podcast consistently demonstrates how the law is a living, evolving force, not just a set of static rules. Whether exploring a historic miscarriage of justice, the intricacies of a new bill in parliament, or a landmark international ruling, the conversation is always geared toward making the inaccessible understandable. For anyone curious about the mechanics of power, rights, and governance, this series offers essential context. Tune in for a reliably insightful analysis of how legal stories unfolding in Australia and around the world ultimately define the boundaries of our collective and individual lives.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

Law Report
Podcast Episodes
The rapid rise of AI use in employment law disputes [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 28:56
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…
01 | Can a stranger inherit everything you own? [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
An elderly man goes into respite care and meets a nurse he's never known before. Within days she's bought him a will kit and had a document drawn up that leaves everything to her. He dies weeks later. Was that his clear…
02 | The will written on a frozen fish packet [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
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…
03 | He worked the farm for decades and got nothing [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
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 disgr…
04 | Asked to be an executor? What you're really signing up for [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 0:00
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 u…
Alan Jones on trial [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:06
The criminal trial of former radio broadcaster Alan Jones has begun in the Local Court in Sydney.
Fifty years of 'no-fault' divorce in Australia [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:07
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 unha…
The dilemmas of parole board decision making [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 29:05
What is it like to have the responsibility of deciding if a violent offender should be released from prison and allowed back into the community?