Crime Figure Shoots Himself in Testicle
Smoking is a dangerous habit, just ask Omar Chaouk. The son of the late Melbourne underworld boss, Macchour Chaouk, accidentally shot himself in the right testicle when reaching into his pocket for a cigarette, firing his pistol instead. Omar Chaouk...
Positive Results for Bourke Justice Reinvestment Trial
Zeb Holmes and Ugur Nedim Early reports suggest the NSW outback town of Bourke is already benefiting from a three-year trial which aims to reduce crime rates by addressing the causes of offending, rather than simply punishing offenders after the...
“… these kids came looking for it, and they enjoyed it”, Priest allegedly said
By Blake O’Connor and Ugur Nedim The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse continues to make damning revelations against current and former Catholic priests. Former priest, John Joseph Farrell, was the subject of numerous child sexual assault...
Man Awarded $582,000 for Wrongful Arrest
Blake O’Connor and Ugur Nedim A review of NSW case law suggests that all three cases of false imprisonment contained in published case reports in 2016 have resulted in judgments against police. One of those cases involved Thomas Hamilton, a...
Smokers: A Demonised, Dying Breed… Just As the Nanny State Likes It
As reported in a previous blog, Australian smokers will soon be paying up to forty $40 a pack for cigarettes. Last Wednesday, legislation was passed in the federal parliament that will see an annual increase on the tax on tobacco...
Derryn Hinch Uses Parliamentary Privilege to Shame Sex Offenders
Derryn Hinch, former radio shock-jock, self described “Human Headline”, and now a Federal Senator, has in recent days decided he is no longer content with using his “Justice Party” to only push for ill informed and short sighted reforms to...
Psychics and Fortune Tellers: Supernatural or Super-Illegal?
A Google search of the word ‘psychic’ reveals a never ending list of businesses offering their supernatural services for a fee. From telephone psychics who charge by the minute through to expensive personalised face-to-face services costing hundreds of dollars per...
Case Thrown Out Due to Illegal Arrest
As previously discussed, courts have the power under section 138 of the Evidence Act 1995 to exclude evidence obtained by police officers in the course of an unlawful arrest. The case of R v William John Bennett (2015) is an...
Pair Accused of Stealing Dying Woman’s Handbag
Police on the Central Coast of NSW have described the alleged act of stealing a handbag from a critically wounded woman as she lay trapped in a car crash as ‘disgusting’. Jason Hall and Silvia Schreuder have appeared at Gosford...
Inside the Life of a Barrister: An Interview with Stephen Lawrence
Sydney barrister Stephen Lawrence has had an illustrious career in law. The 41-year-old, who originally hails from the New South Wales town of Griffith, studied law at the Australian National University, before being admitted as a solicitor in 2002. Since...
