The illusion of “independence” … Hayne royal commission brings new meaning to the word “independent” … AMP, Clayton Utz, Catherine Brenner and the massaging of an independent report … Clutz alumni Brian Salter is the fall-guy … Nick Bonyhady reports 

Benched solicitor out of time in defamation action … Second bite of the defamation cherry with law firm and barrister in the frame … Nick Bonyhady reports courtside  

Conveyancing fracas and thunderous emails lead to misconduct proceedings … Gadens’ partner complains to VLSC … Strike-out refused by VCAT … Nick Bonyhady reports 

Slipping on a shallot at Woolworths … Weighing the free speech rights of litigants in person to indulge in threatening correspondence with insurers for defendants … Courts and tribunals seeing a tide of over-wrought and menacing missives from angry parties … Judges feeling edgy  

Amid the figs and prosciutto Three Wigs Willy takes the judicial oath at Beppis … Big shot barristers and law firm partners in octopus mode as their tentacles lurch towards unsuspecting victims … The #AboutTime movement … Goings On with Theodora 

Gambling barrister from Victoria breaches conditions of his ticket and is put off the track for two years and four months … Queensland solicitor who bribed a minister deemed to be indelibly unfit … Kishor Napier-Raman reporting trackside 

Chronic delays in the coroners’ jurisdiction due to political neglect … Selection committee split over appointment of NSW State Coroner … Experienced hands overlooked … Need for a separate, independent coroners court 

Nick Bonyhady reports on what has happened to the proposed charter of human rights for banana-benders … A Labor government promise that is slow to materialise … Contention around what model to adopt … The next election will have arrived before the new law has properly taken effect  COMMENT: Labor politicians are very good at making promises but when it comes to the crunch they are no better than their liberal counterparts,. why, because a human rights charter means more rights for ordinary people & less opportunity for politicians to legislate away those rights.