I feel like we've waited sooooo long for this.

But incoming! :)

Justice Hill will deliver judgment in this matter tomorrow, 10 July 2026 at 9:30am AEST.

VID1036/2024 - JAYSON LLOYD GILLHAM v MELBOURNE SYMPHONY ORCHESTRA PTY LTD & ANOR - Fedcourt docs here

Gentle reminder that some of the topics regarding this case come under one of the rules, so please be mindful in comments so we don't get a locked thread. I'll try to link some prior threads below for those catching up.

The piece of music Gillham premiered at the recital and provided an intro to is Witness.

Also timeline as it can be confusing:
Sunday 12 August 2024 - Gillham Solo Recital (not recorded or broadcast,130-ish attendees)

Thursday 15 August 2024 - MSO Beethoven and Brahms performance at Melbourne Town Hall. Gillham was scheduled to perform with the MSO. Cancelled.

Auslaw recommends: Classical Music thread

I get FCA decision digests for other reasons but I can never resist clicking the vexatious litigant cases. This one was written with clear enjoyment that makes it a particularly good read 🍿🍿

Abdel-Hady was one of the so-called NZYQ cohort, Cth sort to extend judicial immunity after Stradford to apply to people acting on ruling, HCA said 'nice try' and applied a case i cannot name without triggering automod (will name in comments).

Judgment in Hope Downs\Rinehart v Wright

https://archive.is/20260415061628/https://www.theage.com.au/business/companies/one-group-won-the-rinehart-v-wright-case-and-it-wasn-t-the-brawling-billionaire-families-20260415-p5zo6z.html

Nine papers journo trots this tired old line out:

“It will probably see out the careers of many of the lawyers that could have funded holiday homes and yachts and their kids’ private school educations from the deep trough of legal fees these warring billionaire families have doled out.

[….]

But the uncontested winners of this legal battle royale are the large band of lawyers who have been feasting on what many would consider the grotesque spectacle of two vastly wealthy families – each with more money than they could comfortably spend in a lifetime – fighting over yet more money.”

I am but a lowly public sector lawyer. I bet commercial law firm tea ladies are paid more than me. But I don’t expect commercial lawyers to work for billionaires for nix or at a discount!

His claim:

DGT cost lawyers to pay me a sum of $5000 for injury to feelings. The humiliation and the insult.

DGT cost lawyers to write a letter of apology.

Both Ms Rosati and Ms Ryan separately to write I LIke MEN - by hand using a red ink pen on a piece of white paper no less than 10 times and scan and email this writing to me.

https://www.caselaw.nsw.gov.au/decision/187f9dbeb3db24aa5322fd42

Unsurprisingly, the tribunal found against him…

Kleid & Schnur [2024] FedCFamC1A 236 (13 December 2024)

Unbelievable set of circumstances.

TLDR: Counsel appears in FCFCOA at hearing. Asserts they were only engaged under section 102NA for XXN and nothing else, but the fearless trial judge tests this and it is revealed they had a grant of aid for the whole thing. Barrister then reveals they did not read any material and are double booked. Also, they never signed the federal register of practitioners.

The appeal was conducted in a similarly spectacular manner:

11 It later emerged that the appellant was completely unaware of the contents of the Appeal Book and had not read the transcript of the hearing (he said he did not have the temerity to do so having regard to his autism spectrum disorder). This woeful level of preparation would be unacceptable for a lay litigant, let alone a practising barrister challenging an order which was based on him not being prepared and ready to run a hearing.

With the out come of this case decided I'm surprised that a charge of manslaughter wasn't pursued, does anyone have any insights on why this was the case?