Will I Get Parole? Parole Authority Decision-Making in NSW
Parole is the release of an inmate(the parolee) into the community after the expiry of their ‘non-parole period’ (the minimum term they must spend in prison) and before the expiry of their full term of imprisonment. So, for example, an...
NSW Police Spend $1.2 Million Defending Officers’ “Thuggish” Behaviour
In the early hours of 18 March 2012, Roberto Curti was wandering the streets of Sydney’s CBD in an erratic state after having taken LSD. The 21-year-old from Sao Paulo, Brazil walked into a convenience store and stole a packet...
Dealing with Repeat and Dangerous Offenders
Sentencing Law The Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (the Act) is the primary legislation applicable to sentencing offenders who have committed criminal offences in New South Wales. Section 3A of the Act provides a list of the ‘purposes of sentencing’...
Save Our Public Housing: An Exclusive Interview with Richard Weeks
Waterloo Green is a set of six public housing towers set amongst an area of parkland in Sydney’s inner city. It’s home to about twelve hundred people. From late June, the Waterloo Tent Embassy was set up in the southern...
Specialist Courts for Indigenous Youth: A Positive Approach
The Northern Territory’s criminal justice system has been heavily criticised in the wake of an ABC expose which highlighted the horrific abuse of children in custody. The Four Corners investigation revealed lies and cover-ups by senior officials including the Corrections...
Filipino President Continues Killing Spree in War Against Drugs
We recently reported on the newly elected Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte who publicly declared: “If you are involved in drugs, I will kill you. You son of a whore, I will really kill you.” On Friday, the President threatened to...
DPP Investigates Case of Boy Shafted by Prosecution and Own Lawyer
We recently reported on the case of a 15-year Sudanese refugee, known only as ‘JB’, who spent seven years in prison for murder after both the prosecution and his own defence lawyer acted improperly by withholding evidence which raised significant...
Official Gender Changes to be Made Easier
We are all issued with a certificate on the day we’re born, which is a document we hold onto for the remainder of our lives. It’s our Birth Certificate - an official record of our most basic personal details, including...
NSW Police Try to Shut Down Psyfari Music Festival
NSW police are continuing their push to close down music festivals. This time they’ve taken aim at Psyfari, despite the festival’s clean track record. On 25 August, around 5,000 revellers are expected to descend upon Capertee Valley – located in...
Is it ever ok for a man to punch a woman in the face?
In legal terms the answer is yes, as long as the man is acting in self-defence. A Magistrate has found that a young man who punched a woman unconscious outside a nightclub in the Newcastle CBD on Boxing Day, acted in...
