Speaking up when you see something wrong is too hard in Australia. People who’ve spoken up about corporate fraud and dodgy government deals, and even those who’ve exposed war crimes, have faced life-altering consequences.

Now, for the first time, there’s a service dedicated to whistleblowers, to offer them support as they bring the truth to light for the rest of us.

Australia is being promised a new era in federal politics, with a brand new anti-corruption watchdog now operating in Canberra. Between opening on Saturday and Monday morning, the National Anti-Corruption Commission had already received 44 referrals for investigation.

But there are concerns the way the NACC has been designed could mean it fails the same whistleblowers the body relies on. Today, senior lawyer at the Human Rights Law Centre Kieran Pender.

The World Cup is the most watched sporting event on earth. Some predict that this year’s matches in Qatar could be watched by 5 billion during the month-long tournament.

But the grand spectacle of the World Cup is stained with allegations that migrant workers have died to make it happen. So what happens when sport and politics can’t be separated?

If you are ever jailed for a crime, you would hope to do your time in jail and be released at the end of it, but not if you get caught up in something called “preventative detention”.

Today, journalist Kieran Pender, on the question of who gets to walk free at the end of their sentence.

Diego Franco was a food delivery rider. He worked for Uber, door dash and Deliveroo, to transport food in Australia.

What happened to him, and his subsequent case at the Fair Work Commission was supposed to set a powerful precedent for people who work across the whole gig economy – and give workers in these industries the same rights as employees.

Late last week, the attorney-general dropped charges against whistleblower Bernard Collaery. It was a sensational development in a case that has outraged many.

But Collaery is not the only whistleblower on trial for revealing shocking misconduct by the government, the public service, or the army. What’s next for those cases?

Today, lawyer and contributor to The Saturday Paper Kieran Pender on the people still facing prison for telling the truth.

Lawyers and bankers in London have been warned by the British prime minister not to defend the wealth and reputations of Russian oligarchs who have ties to Vladimir Putin’s government. And one of those oligarchs actually has a connection to Australia as well. Today, Kieran Pender on why a Russian oligarch launched a lawsuit in an Australian court.

Two years ago, the High Court made a landmark decision that prevented the deportation of non-citizen Aboriginal Australians. Now, the federal government is seeking to overturn that decision. Today, Kieran Pender, on the case of Shayne Montgomery, and concerns around the potential politicisation of the High Court.

Class action lawsuits are one of the only ways ordinary people can get justice and compensation if they’ve been mistreated by powerful corporations and institutions. But now, their future is under threat. Today, journalist and lawyer Kieran Pender on the new government legislation that could spell the end of class actions in Australia, and what that would mean for access to justice.

Uber and Airtasker have transformed the ‘gig economy’ by hiring workers as independent contractors, which denies them basic rights like a minimum wage, superannuation or leave. Recently, two workers pushed back against this model of employment and took their case all the way to the High Court. Today, contributor to The Saturday Paper Kieran Pender on how the court’s decision could fundamentally change the nature of work.

The former attorney-general for the ACT, Bernard Collaery, has been charged with conspiracy, but the details of the case have been hidden from journalists and the public. Today, senior lawyer for the Human Rights Law Centre, Kieran Pender, on the trial of Bernard Collaery, and why the government is trying so hard to keep it as secret as possible.

After being postponed last year, the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games officially begin tonight in the middle of Japan’s third wave of Covid-19 and amidst a pandemic that is still raging across the world. But, with athletes pulling out and more and more participants testing positive for Covid-19, are the games worth it? Today, Kieran Pender on what it’s like to have front row seats to the biggest experiment in the world right now.

In a recent landmark judgement, the federal court has found that the government owes children a duty of care in preventing harm from the impacts of climate change. The case, which centred around the proposed expansion of a NSW coal mine, could have far reaching legal implications in Australia. Today, Kieran Pender on the case that saw a group of teenagers take on the Minister for the Environment.

Physicist Peter Ridd was fired after he publicly criticised his colleague’s research on the Great Barrier Reef, but what started as an employment dispute has become a test case on climate denial and cancel culture. Today, Kieran Pender on Peter Ridd’s day in court and what the outcome could mean for academic freedom.

Tens of thousands of athletes and officials are about to descend on Tokyo as the city prepares to host the 32nd Olympic games. But with Covid-19 cases surging in Japan, health experts and the majority of the Japanese public are opposed to the event being held at all. Today, Kieran Pender on the vested interests behind this pandemic Olympics.

Two Australians have launched court cases in an attempt to radically overhaul the way our government and big corporations are responding to climate change. Today, lawyer Kieran Pender on the story of climate litigation in Australia and what’s at stake.