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🗞️ AI lawyers

Self-represented cases in the Federal Court rose to 861 in the 2026 financial year, up 80% in a year and 150% in two, a surge the court has tied to lawsuits drafted with AI.

The Aussie Corporate Published Oct 28, 2026

Good morning. Self-represented cases in the Federal Court rose to 861 in the 2026 financial year, up 80% in a year and 150% in two, a surge the court has tied to lawsuits drafted with AI.

Since March, every new litigant in person has had to acknowledge a plain-English practice note that warns against relying on generative AI for legal advice and spells out the risk of adverse costs orders and contempt findings.

In April, the court barred one self-represented litigant from starting or continuing any case without permission, finding his repeated complaints, court actions and AI-tainted filings were frustrating.

All the headlines and more below...

TAX OFFICE COMPLAINTS UP 74% AS DEBT COLLECTION RAMPS UP

Debt collection and payment-related matters each accounted for 19% of complaint investigations lodged with the Tax Ombudsman from April to September, during which the office received 2,376 complaints against the Australian Taxation Office. The total was up 74% from the same period in 2025 and 180% above 2 years earlier.

The ombudsman investigated 501 complaints and found the ATO acted reasonably in 63% of debt collection cases, down 9 percentage points from the same period last year. Complaints about penalties and interest made up 18% of grievances, up from 13% a year ago. Tax liabilities are adding to mounting debts as inflation and interest rates rise, while taxpayers rely on refunds to maintain liquidity or pay other bills.

The ATO was owed $54.2B in outstanding tax debt in FY25, according to the Australian National Audit Office. Debts owed by small businesses amounted to $35.9B, an increase of $19.4B from FY19.

AUSTRALIAN NEWS

The Tax Ombudsman reported 2,376 complaints against the ATO in the six months to September, up 74% on 2025, as tougher debt collection hit financially stressed taxpayers. LINK
The government has unveiled a Cash Is King bill to broaden existing cash mandates, lifting the limit to $2000 and extending compulsory cash acceptance to major retailers and Commonwealth agencies. LINK
70% of Australians trust small local businesses compared with 49% for the government as cost-of-living pressures have made consumers more deliberate, emotionally-driven spenders. LINK
Australia is on track for a 15-year high in road deaths as fatalities rise for a sixth straight year, driven by drug-driving, higher vehicle speeds and larger, heavier cars. LINK

NRMA INSURANCE OVERCHARGED 41,564 NSW DRIVERS $12.17M IN GREEN SLIP POSTCODE ERROR

NRMA Insurance's operating system failed to update premiums when customers moved address, leaving drivers who relocated from higher-risk areas to lower-risk ones paying the wrong rate. NSW's compulsory third party scheme groups postcodes into 5 geographic districts and sets premiums based on accident risk, with Sydney metro highest and country districts lowest.

The company identified the error earlier this year and reported it to the State Insurance Regulatory Authority. SIRA fined NRMA Insurance $479,500 for the postcode error and 7 other breaches, including a failure to provide $660,000 in discounts to customers between April 2024 and November 2025. Between January and April last year, the insurer overcharged customers $27,000 but undercharged $1.7M due to errors in applying risk ratings for different vehicle types.

More than 600,000 policies now require further assessment for potential discount calculation errors. NRMA Insurance is paying back all overcharged customers with interest, and SIRA imposed special licence conditions on the insurer in March after a series of errors.

COMPANY NEWS

The Fair Work Commission ruled Coles unfairly dismissed a Pyrmont casual worker who restrained suspected thieves at a neighbouring Liquorland, ordering $6,483.51 in compensation without reinstatement. LINK
Apple acknowledged that a small number of new iPhone Duo foldables suffered cracked inner screens after hours or days of use. LINK
David Jones owner Anchorage Capital has entered urgent talks with landlords and suppliers that could see stores close after Christmas. LINK
Perpetual will cut more staff and outsource middle office roles to State Street as it targets $80M in savings in FY27 after $9.6B quarterly net outflows. AFR
Gumtree Group Australia launched an AI service agent in September to handle routine customer queries using 300 knowledge articles, boosting interaction and deflection rates while freeing 22 human support staff. LINK
Microsoft offered voluntary buyouts to about 60,000 employees in Canada, India, the UK and the US as it adapts its workforce while ramping up investment in AI. LINK
Ransomware group Brain Cipher claimed it hacked Sodali and accessed 13,000 documents affecting more than 100 mainly non-Australian clients. AUS
Instagram has started testing 90-minute horizontal videos under its new Features tool in Brazil and the US, as brands prepare to repurpose long-form YouTube content. LINK
Virgin Australia launched a refreshed buy-on-board menu including $12 hot chips and new wraps as it tied Velocity status credit bonuses to Virgin Money and American Express card spending. LINK
Shona Joy announced it will close its Australian fashion label after 26 years as founder Shona Thatcher has chosen to prioritise family life over managing the rapidly grown business. LINK

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