As if there aren’t enough problems with Victoria’s legal system, a magistrate has now been rapped over the knuckles for making disparaging remarks about a lawyer’s fashion sense.

But here at CBD we always knew fashion was a serious matter.

Magistrate Justin Foster was investigated by the Judicial Commission of Victoria after a lawyer complained that the magistrate had made disparaging remarks about the lawyer’s professionalism and his dress sense in wearing an open-neck shirt in a video link during a criminal matter.

The lawyer was not present when the spray occurred, with the comments made about him to his client.

In a finding released by the commission on Wednesday, the magistrate was reported to have said to the lawyer’s client: “I suggest you come and speak to Legal Aid in the morning if Mr [lawyer] is not doing his job properly for you, and it’s quite - it should be quite apparent to you that he’s not doing his job properly if he intends, intends to appear before this court dressed with an open-neck shirt and a jumper.”

When the case was first called in court, the lawyer was not in attendance. When the matter was recalled, the lawyer appeared via audiovisual link, and when the matter was recalled again, the lawyer was not present, and that is when the magistrate turned stern.

The commission judged that a reasonable person would have found the comments “unnecessary, unfair, insulting and impugning the lawyer’s professional integrity and competence”.

It all added up to an infringement of the standards of conduct expected of judicial officers, with the finding referred to the chief magistrate with the recommendation that Foster be counselled and brush up on the “conduct and ethics” resources on the Judicial College of Victoria webpage.

CBD reached out to Chief Magistrate Lisa Hannan on Thursday.

“The Judicial Commission has determined the matter and made the recommendations set out in their statement dated 29 July 2026,” Hannan said. “These recommendations are being implemented.”

‘Ditch the Witch’ troll truck switches gears to Carroll

Jacinta Allan may have been seen off as premier, but that does not mean the controversial billboard truck that hit the headlines for driving anti-Labor “Ditch the Witch” digital ads around town is being parked – quite the opposite, in fact.

CBD can reveal the campaign, which trolled Allan by labelling her a witch and presenting unflattering AI manipulated images of her, switched gears this week, turning its focus to new Premier Ben Carroll, but not before launching a defiant public swipe at Allan and her demise.

“Bye Bye Witchy Poo,” read one ad, with AI Allan shown on a broomstick.

The anti-Allan campaign was heavily criticised for being misogynistic, sexist and offensive.

New attack ads rolled out on the mobile digital billboards have Carroll very much in their sights.

He, too, has had the ghastly AI makeover, giving him exaggerated features and a troll-like appearance, and he is described as a “muppet”, with slogans leaning into the concepts of betrayal and trust – you get the drift.

Franco Puleo, the owner of the Gotham City adult establishment in South Melbourne, who has previously taken credit for organising the “Ditch the Witch” campaign, confirmed the mobile ad blitz was just getting started, and the people backing the campaign would keep the truck on the road.

“The campaign will continue,” Puleo told CBD. “Donations are coming from everywhere in Victoria.”

Can’t imagine this is music to Carroll’s ears.

Reform on the agenda for Shaw

In a blast from the past, Geoff Shaw, the former Liberal turned independent political disrupter from the early 2010s is back in the political game.

Shaw was the member for Frankston from 2010 to 2014, where he was elected as a Liberal before turning independent during his term and finally losing his seat.

He then hitched his wagon to Clive Palmer and the United Australia Party in the 2022 state election, in which he ran for an upper house seat and failed to make his mark.

On Thursday, CBD was intrigued to see Shaw’s name appear on an application to the Victorian Electoral Commission for Reform Australia to register as a political party in this state.

Could it be the Geoff Shaw? Well, yes.

CBD got on the phone, and it turns out Shaw is on the national executive of Reform Australia and “will be part of a team in Victoria”.

But Shaw said he was not going to stand for a seat in November’s election.

“We want to be registered in every state and run a national campaign, so that’s why we’re registering Victoria,” Shaw said. “Will we be standing candidates? Quite possibly.”