Jan 25, 2024
A few months ago, the Federal Court found in favour of five
former students of a Melbourne-based school who had alleged
anti-Semitic bullying and harassment, with the quintet being
awarded substantial damages by the state of Victoria. Here, one of
the partners involved in the proceedings unpacks the case and its
broader implications.
In this episode of The Lawyers Weekly Show, host Jerome Doraisamy
welcomes Cornwalls partner Richard Hutchings to talk about the case
of Kaplan v State of Victoria (No 8) [2023] FCA 1092, the headline
takeaways and findings from the proceedings, how he and his firm
came to be involved in the matter, the significance of an apology
being delivered, and why the proceedings are so important in the
current climate.
Mr Hutchings also reflects on whether we may now see further such
proceedings being brought across Australian jurisdictions, whether
our laws are currently fit for purpose in navigating such
discrimination issues, how and why law firms of all stripes should
be more willing to take on these kinds of matters on a pro bono
basis, lessons for such firms coming out of these proceedings, how
his team navigated evolving court processes, and his interest in
human rights law more broadly.
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If you have any questions about what you heard today, any topics of
interest you have in mind, or if you'd like to lend your voice to
the show, email editor@lawyersweekly.com.au for
more insights!