Tales from the NSW Police Cold Case Vault
Stacey Willoughby was only 13-years-old when he was murdered. His body was found in the family car, along with his mother’s, 34-year-old Barbara Brooks. Both had been shot with a .22 calibre rifle and left slumped in the vehicle in...
Sydney Terror Duo Sentenced to Twenty Years Imprisonment
Sydney men Omar Al-Kutobi and Mohammad Kiad were sentenced to 20 years in prison last Friday for plotting a terrorist attack. However, under new laws passed through federal parliament earlier this month, the pair could potentially face indefinite detention. On...
Empowering Women Inmates: An Interview with WIPAN President Kat Armstrong
More women in Australia are being incarcerated than ever before. Australian Bureau of Statistics figures suggest that since 2005, the incarceration rate for women has risen by close to 40 percent, compared with 18 percent for men. Women account for around...
MDMA Can Cure PTSD: An Interview with Dr Stephen Bright
Most Australians think of MDMA as the illicit party drug ecstasy. Often it’s the main ingredient. However, an ecstasy pill will usually contain a range of substances, such as PMA, which mimics the effect of MDMA, but can be much...
Terminally Ill Victorians May Soon Have the Right to Die
Dying with dignity might become a reality for the terminally ill in Victoria, as end-of-life legislation is set to be introduced into state parliament in the second half of next year. Victorian premier Daniel Andrews announced on Thursday that all...
Police Raid Newcastle Medical Marijuana Dispensary
As the use of medical marijuana is fast becoming accepted across Australia, NSW police raided a medicinal cannabis growing dispensary in Newcastle. Last Thursday, 215 plants were seized from a hydroponic operation run by a local group called the Church...
Is Extra Police the Answer to Crime?
In a continuation of the Victorian government’s increasingly tough on crime stance, state premier Daniel Andrews announced on Sunday that his party would be boosting police numbers by 20 percent over the next four years. The $2 billion plan will...
Queensland May Finally Abolish Gay Panic Defence
After years of petitioning, the Queensland government has finally introduced a bill to abolish the antiquated gay panic defence. The state’s attorney-general Yvette D’Ath presented the Criminal Law Amendment Bill 2016 to parliament on Wednesday. Officially known as the homosexual advancement...
Sydney Lawyer ‘Struck Off’ for Stealing Client’s Money
Another NSW lawyer has been struck off for engaging in professional misconduct. This time it was Mr Thai Le Huu Nguyen. The Civil and Administrative Tribunal found him guilty on November 18 this year, for conduct it deemed to be...
Returning to Work after Cancer: An Interview with Professor Bogda Koczwara
In the past, the C word was something people didn’t like to discuss in polite company. However, with increasingly better treatments becoming available, cancer no longer necessarily marks the end of a person’s life. This year, the number of Australians...
