Australia Laws
481 articles · page 2 of 9
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Breaking a Lease in Australia: Costs, Notice and Family Violence Rules
What it costs to end a fixed-term tenancy early in Australia, notice periods, hardship applications and family violence pathways, by state and territory.
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Can You Record a Phone Call in Australia? State-by-State Rules
Recording your own phone call in Australia depends on state law, not federal wiretapping law. See the rule for every state and territory, with citations.
Can You Use a Secret Recording as Evidence in an Australian Court?
Admissibility of a secret recording in Australia is a two-part test. QLD, TAS and ACT add a state bar before the s 138 discretion, and federal law bars illegal taps.
Capsicum Spray and Taser Laws in Australia: Why WA Is the Exception (2026)
Capsicum spray is prohibited or restricted in most of Australia, but Western Australia allows it to be carried for lawful defence. WA's rule does not cover tasers.
Casual Employee Rights in Australia: Definition, Loading and Employee Choice
Casual employee rights in Australia: the section 15A definition, casual loading, and the employee choice pathway that replaced casual conversion from 26 August 2024.
CCTV and Home Security Camera Laws in Australia (2026)
Home security cameras face two separate Australian laws: one for video, one for audio. See which states regulate video, NSW's trespass test, and the audio trap.
Child Car Seat Laws in Australia: Age Rules, Fines and Demerits by State
Australia's child car seat rules by age, plus the actual fine, demerit points and double-demerit rules in each state and territory for FY2026-27.
Child Car Seat Laws in NSW: Fines, Demerits and Exemptions (2026)
NSW child car seat laws: the current $434 fine, 3 to 6 demerit points, the age-based restraint rules under Road Rules 2014 rule 266 (enforced via rule 264-1(1) since July 2024) and the taxi exemption; rideshare coverage unconfirmed.
Child Car Seat Laws in Victoria: Fines, Demerits and Exemptions (2026)
Victoria child car seat laws: the real $418.20 on-the-spot fine versus the $2,091 court maximum, 3 demerit points, no double demerit scheme, and exemptions under rule 266A.
Child Support Calculator Australia: The Formula Step by Step
A step-by-step walkthrough of Australia's 8-step child support formula with a worked example using 2026 figures, and where to get a binding figure.
Child Support in Australia (2026): How It Is Calculated
How child support is worked out in Australia: the eight-step formula, the 2026 figures and Costs of the Children Table, minimum rates, and changing an assessment.
Coercive Control Laws in Australia: Where It Is a Crime and Where It Is Not
Coercive control is an offence in NSW and Queensland, Tasmania has narrower economic and emotional abuse offences, Victoria and SA have laws not yet in force, and the ACT has a Bill.
Commonwealth FOI: How to Request Federal Government Documents
How to apply for documents under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 (Cth): fees, the 30-day decision deadline, exemptions, and the review ladder to the Information Commissioner and the ART.
Concerns Notices in Australian Defamation Law: What the Rules Require
A concerns notice is now a mandatory step before suing for defamation in most of Australia. Learn what it must contain, the waiting periods, and where it is not required.
Consequences of Bankruptcy in Australia: NPII, Credit Report, Director Bans and Travel
The personal and legal effects of Australian bankruptcy: the public NPII record, credit report retention under the Privacy Act, director disqualification, overseas travel and restricted occupations.
Consumer Guarantees in Australia: What the ACL Promises You
The consumer guarantees under the Australian Consumer Law: acceptable quality, fitness for purpose, services guarantees (ss 60-62) and when they apply.
Consumer Rights for Services in Australia: Sections 60 to 62
Your rights when a service goes wrong under the ACL: due care and skill, fitness for purpose, reasonable time, and what section 63 excludes.
Consumer Rights in Australia: Refunds, Guarantees and Complaints
Australian Consumer Law explained: guarantees, repair and refund rights, unfair contract terms, penalties, the October 2026 card surcharge ban and July 2027 changes.
Contesting a Will in Australia: Time Limits and Eligibility by State
Family provision deadlines in Australia differ in what they run from, not just length. Compare eligibility and time limits for contesting a will in every state.
Contravention of Parenting Orders in Australia: Reasonable Excuse and Penalties
What happens when a parenting order is breached: the reasonable excuse defence, the order ladder, current penalty unit fines and imprisonment limits under the Family Law Act.
Corporate Whistleblower Protections in Australia: Corporations Act and Tax Regime
How Corporations Act Part 9.4AAA protects private sector whistleblowers in Australia: eligibility, the 90-day rule, penalties up to $18.2m, and the separate tax regime.
Court Lists in Australia: Find a Daily Court List in Every State
Where to find daily court lists for every Australian court, when they are published, how to search by name or case number, and what the lists leave out.
Court Records in Australia: How to Find Judgments, Court Lists and Case Files in Every State
How to find an Australian court judgment or case file: the court hierarchy, what is public by default, and the access rules and fees in NSW, VIC, QLD, WA, SA, TAS, NT and the ACT.
Court Records in NSW: How to Search, Inspect and Access a Court File
How NSW court records work: the NSW Online Registry versus NSW Caselaw, UCPR rule 36.12 and Practice Note SC Gen 2 for file access, Local Court fees and what stays closed by default.
Court Records in Queensland: How to Search Court Files, eCourts and Judgments
How to find Queensland court records: eCourts for parties, the non-party inspection process under rules 975G to 975I and Practice Direction 7 of 2025, and where judgments are published.
Court Records in South Australia: How to Search, Inspect and Access Court Files
How to search and inspect South Australian court records through CourtSA and the Registrar: the $30.75 fee, suppression orders, and what stays restricted by default.
Court Records in Tasmania: How to Search, Inspect and Access Court Files
Tasmania has no online court-record search portal. How rule 33 access, the $50.96 fee, and Tasmania's suppression and reporting-restriction rules actually work.
Court Records in the ACT: Registry Access, Fees and the Suppression Gap
How ACT court records work: Court Procedures Rules r2903 registry access, the $51.00 document fee, judgments online since 2002, and why there's no general suppression Act.
Court Records in the Northern Territory: Access, Fees and What's Not Online
How NT court records work: no online case-search portal, Local Court $32.00 and Supreme Court approx $37 inspection fees, and the Evidence Act suppression regime.
Court Records in Victoria: RedCrest, CITEC Confirm and How to Access a File
How Victorian court records work: RedCrest versus CITEC Confirm, rule 28.05 and Practice Note SC GEN 20 for file access, Supreme Court fees and what stays closed by default.
Court Records in Western Australia: How to Search Court Files and Judgments
How to find Western Australia court records: the eCourts Portal's dual role, non-party access under Order 67B, current search and copy fees, and the state's own Family Court.
Credit Reporting and Defaults in Australia: Thresholds and Timeframes
How an Australian credit provider can list a default, the notice requirements, how long different information stays on your credit report, and how to dispute an error.
Criminal Record and Employment Rights in Australia: What Protection Actually Exists
There is no general Commonwealth law banning criminal-record discrimination in hiring. See what the AHRC pathway actually offers, why the Fair Work Act does not cover it, and what employers must do under the Privacy Act.
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Dangerous and Restricted Dog Laws in Australia
A federal import ban covers five dog breeds. New South Wales and Victoria add breed-based restricted-dog status; Queensland uses a structurally different prohibited-dog system.
Dash Cam Laws in Australia: What's Legal to Record
Dash cam video is lawful across Australia, but in-cabin audio rules differ by state. See what's allowed and the risks of posting footage online.
Data Breach in Australia: What to Do If Your Information Is Affected
If you're told your data was in an Australian data breach, do the free things first: a credit ban, IDCARE, checking your accounts, before any paid product.
De Facto Relationships in Australia: Rights and Time Limits
How Australian law defines a de facto relationship, when you can apply for property or maintenance orders, and the strict time limits that apply.
Debt Agreements in Australia (Part IX): Eligibility, Voting and Terms
How a Part IX debt agreement works: the single indexed threshold behind the eligibility caps, majority-in-value creditor voting, administrators, term limits and how it compares to bankruptcy.
Debt Collection Laws in Australia: What Collectors Can and Cannot Do
What debt collectors in Australia can and cannot do under the ACCC and ASIC guideline, Australian Consumer Law section 50, ASIC Act section 12DJ, hardship notices and how to complain.
Deepfake and Intimate Image Laws in Australia: Creation vs Distribution by State
Deepfake law in Australia by state: when creation alone is a crime, when only sharing it is, penalties, the eSafety takedown scheme, and the real cases so far.
Defamation Damages in Australia: The $520,000 Cap Explained
Australia's cap on defamation damages for non-economic loss reached $520,000 on 1 July 2026. How the cap works, how aggravated damages fit, and how WA differs.
Defamation Defences in Australia: The Complete List by Jurisdiction
Justification, qualified privilege, honest opinion, public interest and more: a guide to Australian defamation defences, with section numbers by jurisdiction.
Defamation Law in South Australia: The Partial Stage 2 Adoption
South Australia adopted Stage 1 in full but only part of Stage 2. It has no digital intermediary safe harbour, unlike NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and the NT.
Defamation Law in Tasmania: The 12 November 2021 Commencement
Tasmania's defamation reforms commenced 12 November 2021, not 1 July 2021 as widely reported. See the correct date and how Tasmania's Act is structured.
Defamation Law in the Northern Territory: The 2025 Reforms
The Northern Territory adopted both national defamation reform stages at once on 11 August 2025. See the new serious harm, concerns notice and intermediary rules.
Defamation Law in Western Australia: Why It Is Different
Western Australia never adopted the 2021 or 2023 defamation reforms. No serious harm threshold, no mandatory concerns notice, and triviality still applies.
Defamation Time Limits in Australia: The One-Year Rule Explained
Defamation claims in Australia must generally start within one year of publication. Learn how the single publication rule and concerns notices affect that deadline.
Demerit Points Explained Across Australia: Thresholds by State (2026)
Demerit thresholds are not just 12 points, except NSW. Novice thresholds, accrual windows and suspension rules differ sharply by state, verified July 2026.
Disability Support Pension in Australia: Eligibility, Rates and Appeals
How Australia's Disability Support Pension works: who qualifies, current fortnightly rates, how to apply, appeal options, and how working, study and NDIS funding fit in.
Dividing Fences in New South Wales: Notice, Cost and NCAT
How dividing fence disputes work in New South Wales: the 1-month notice period, equal cost-sharing default, and the Local Court/NCAT concurrent jurisdiction under s 13.
Dividing Fences in Queensland: Notice, Cost and QCAT
How dividing fence disputes work in Queensland: the notice to contribute, equal cost-sharing under s 21 and applying to QCAT under the 2011 Act.
Dividing Fences in South Australia: Notice, Cost and the Magistrates Court
How dividing fence disputes work in South Australia: the 30-day cross-notice process and the Magistrates Court powers under the Fences Act 1975.
Dividing Fences in Tasmania: Notice, Arbitration and Cost Recovery
Tasmania's Boundary Fences Act 1908: the 21-day objection period, half-cost recovery in court if you do not object, equal repair shares, and arbitration.
Dividing Fences in the ACT: Notice, ACAT and the 50% Cap
How dividing fence disputes work in the ACT: the 30-day wait, 14-day deemed refusal, urgent repairs, and the half-cost cap when you ask ACAT for a basic fence.
Dividing Fences in the Northern Territory: Yes, There Is a Law
The Northern Territory does have a dividing fences law: the Fences Act 1972. How notice, the equal-cost default and NTCAT applications work under it.
Dividing Fences in Victoria: Notice, Cost and the Magistrates’ Court
How dividing fence disputes work in Victoria: the 30-day response period, equal cost-sharing and Magistrates’ Court complaints under the Fences Act 1968.
Dividing Fences in Western Australia: Notice, Cost and the Magistrates Court
How dividing fence disputes work in Western Australia: the 21-day response period, half-cost claims under s 13, and the Magistrates Court process under the Dividing Fences Act 1961.
Dividing Fences Law in Australia: State by State Comparison
How dividing fence disputes work in every Australian state and territory: the Act, the forum, notice periods and cost-sharing rules, compared side by side.
Divorce in Australia: Process, Fees and Eligibility
How to apply for divorce in Australia: the 12-month separation rule, FY2026-27 fees, joint versus sole applications, and when it takes effect.
Dog Attack and Dog Bite Civil Liability in Australia by State
Dog bite civil liability differs sharply across Australia. Compare the strict liability, criminal and common law models used in each state and territory.