Tough New Laws for Child Sex Offenders
The Federal government has announced tough new laws for sex-offenders - purported to be the harshest since the establishment of the Criminal Code Act in 1995. The proposed legislation, called Crimes Legislation Amendment (Sexual Crimes Against Children and Community Protection...
The Common Law Continues to Develop in Australia
The common law – or ‘judge made law’ – refers to the body of law developed by the decisions of judges. In a common law system, past decisions are known as ‘precedents’. Fundamental to the common law is the principle...
“Pure Greed”: Criminal Lawyer Imprisoned for Fraud
Queensland criminal defence lawyer Tim Meehan has been sentenced to five and a half years behind bars for fraud. Mr Meehan, formerly a partner at Bosscher Lawyers, pleaded guilty last year to one count of aggravated fraud and eight counts...
Judges Behaving Badly: Poor Judicial Temperament
‘Judicial temperament’ describes a judge or magistrate’s emotional responses within the courtroom and general attitude towards those within it, as well as to the law and legal process. A judicial officer with an good temperament is fair, patient, calm, unbiased, and...
Police Body Cameras Rarely Used
In November 2015, Queensland Police hosted a large-scale media launch for the first stage of a $6 million state-wide rollout of body cameras. At the time, the initiative was hailed as a “VERY. BIG. DEAL”, with hopes the devices would...
Big Tobacco Will Pay for its Day in Court
Tobacco giant Philip Morris has been ordered to pay the Australian Government millions of dollars in legal costs, after its failed bid to kill off plain packaging. Australia’s plain packaging tobacco laws are some of the toughest in the world,...
NSW Police ‘Shoot First and Ask Questions Later’
The NSW Police Force Handbook is meant to be the gospel when it comes to policing in our state. It is a comprehensive, 518 page document which provides information, advice and guidance on practically every aspect of policing. The publicly...
NSW Government Silences Animal Rights Activists
Paul Gregoire and Ugur Nedim ‘Ag-gag’ laws prohibit individuals, including animal rights activists, from filming or photographing animal agricultural practices on farms and in slaughterhouses. The laws are supposed protect our agricultural industry, but their practical effect is to inhibit...
It’s Queensland’s Turn to ‘Lock Out’ Unsuspecting Patrons
By Blake O’Connor and Ugur Nedim Sydney’s lockout laws signalled the death of many well-known bars, clubs and restaurants in the CBD and Kings Cross, with some labelling them “religious ideology gone made” and an “international joke thanks to the...
Sex Toy Mistaken for Bomb
Police raided a house in south west Sydney recently and found an object they suspected of being a bomb. But it wasn’t until a major police station had been evacuated, five police officers had been taken to hospital, and a man...
