Brandis Rebukes Dutton Over “Un-Australian” Lawyers Remarks
Back in August, Australian immigration minister Peter Dutton caused a furore when he accused lawyers who represent asylum seekers on a pro bono basis of being “un-Australian.” The backlash from inside and beyond the legal profession was widespread. Now, it seems Australia’s...
WA Government Defensive Over DNA Fiasco
An inquiry into government pathology service, PathWest, has found 11 anomalies in the forensic testing of samples relating to six of the 19 criminal cases examined. The revelations have put the state government on the back foot, with health minister Roger Cook...
High Court Rules that Anti-Protest Laws are Unconstitutional
A former politician’s recent win against the Tasmanian government calls into question the validity of anti-protest laws around the country. Former Greens Party leader Bob Brown is no stranger to standing up for what he believes in, and he’s long...
Stop Testing Drivers for Minute Traces of Cannabis
Most Australian states and territories currently carry out mobile drug testing (MDT) operations that only test for three illicit substances: amphetamines, MDMA and cannabis. In Tasmania and the Northern Territory, police test for longer lists of illegal drugs. In NSW, authorities have...
Simply Punishing Violent Criminals Does Not Reduce Reoffending
Research into violent offenders suggests they are less deterred by punishment than others, and that a strictly punitive approach to punishment does nothing to reduce their likelihood of reoffending. MRI scans Researchers from Canada and the UK scanned the brains...
Intensive Correction Orders Reduce Re-Offending Rates
The NSW inmate population is at an all-time high. In June this year, there were 13,092 inmates being held in our state’s correctional facilities, according to NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) figures. 4,309 of these full-time adult...
Recent Report Triggers Debate About Gun Control Laws
Date published: 16 October 2017 Stephen Paddock killed 58 people and injured close to 500, when he opened fire on a crowd at a country music festival in Las Vegas on October 1. The gunman had a huge arsenal of high-power...
High Court Dismisses Appeal Against Attempted Murder Charge
On 28 April 2012, ex-Bandido biker club member Jacques Teamo walked into a Sony store in the Gold Coast’s Robina Town Centre mall accompanied by his two sons. Mark James Graham from rival club, the Mongols, was walking by and noticed...
NSW Government Continues to Remove Legal Safeguards and Protections
The NSW Coalition government is continuing its ongoing assault on civil liberties under the guise of combating terrorism. On October 4, NSW premier Gladys Berejiklian announced her government will be introducing the “nation’s toughest terror laws.” Set to be introduced in November, the...
Sydney Council Plans to Designate 54 More Alcohol Free Zones
As a general rule, it is not an offence for adults in NSW to drink alcohol in public. But over the years, various councils across the state have introduced alcohol free zones - where the consumption of alcohol is prohibited....
