Hey, Nathan. Hey, Ruby. How's it going?
Good. I've got a great idea.
So, you know how I'm doing the story about the High Court this week?
Yeah.
Well, I want to make it space-themed.
So, basically, I get some kids to be aliens
and I am like this astronaut, intergalactic crime fighter
and someone on another planet has committed, like, a terrible crime...
Whoa.
Look, it sounds creative but it sounds a bit ridiculous, too.
Come on. It'll be like, "Pew! Pew! Hands up, you radioactive slimeballs!
"You're under arrest." It'll be awesome!
Maybe give it another shot.
Alright. Good luck.
OK, so our justice system might not have much to do with outer space
but it does have everything to do with the law.
Courts decide if people are guilty of breaking a law
and decide their punishment.
They sort out legal disputes between people or companies
and decide how the law should be interpreted.
But sometimes a court can make a decision
that people aren't happy with.
If that happens, they have the right to an appeal.
This can eventually mean approaching a higher-level court,
and asking them to review the case, in the hope of a different outcome,
much like me.
Hey, Ben. Hey, Ruby.
So I've got this great idea for a story.
Nathan said no but I really think you should hear it.
OK, go on then.
OK, so basically I play
an intergalactic astronaut crime fighter who saves the galaxy
by battling some radioactive slimeballs
and I basically take them out with my laser and go, "Pew! Pew!
"Hands up, you radioactive slimeballs.
"You're under arrest!"
And at the end, the whole galaxy's saved.
That's the end. What do you think?
Yeah, no, probably not.
Sorry. It's a terrible idea. (SIGHS)
Sorry.
If you've exhausted all your options in the lower courts -
be it the local, district, supreme, federal or family court,
there's one right on top that can trump all of the others.
The big boss of the court system.
Hi, I'd like to speak to the boss of the ABC, please.
Oh, hi, Michelle. It's Ruby.
Listen, I've just got this idea for a story that I wanted to run by you.
Basically, I'm...
It's the High Court.
It's located in our capital, Canberra,
and it's the most powerful court in the country.
It has the final say on everything.
The High Court handles cases in a couple of different ways.
It can hear appeals from lower courts
or it can hear new cases about big issues -
often to do with interpreting the rules
in Australia's oldest rulebook, the constitution.
The High Court is made up of seven people -
one Chief Justice and six justices.
The current Chief Justice is Susan Kiefel.
She's the first woman to ever hold the position.
These seven are going to be pretty busy over the next few months,
dealing with some cases you may have heard about recently.
Like whether some politicians,
who found out they're actually dual citizens,
should be booted from Parliament.
And whether the postal survey on same-sex marriage
should be allowed to go ahead.
But big cases like that are all in a day's work for the High Court.
In the past, it's handed down decisions
on recognising native title for Aboriginal people
and ruled on where the government can process refugees.
Once decisions are made here, that's it.
And that's pretty much it for me, too.
You really don't like it?
Alright. See ya.
Well, how am I meant to tell my High Court story now?