Turnbull Continues Assault on Civil Liberties
On Tuesday, Australian prime minister Malcolm Turnbull delivered his National Security Statement before parliament. During his speech, the PM focused on the threat of terrorism, declaring that his government was committed to “balancing the priority of community safety with individual liberties.”...
Prison for “Radicalised Inmates”: Protecting the Community or Increasing the Threat?
The NSW government announced last Sunday that it will be investing a further $47 million into the state’s correctional facilities in order to “future-proof” the prison system to prepare for a “new era of terrorist inmates.” The plan includes the construction...
Roll Up, Roll Up: Australia Desperately Needs Cyber Security Experts
Cyber-crime is on the rise. And we’re all at risk. In Australia, we have more mobile phones than people. About 84% of all phones are smartphones. We have a range of devices that connect to the internet – from TVs,...
Police Who Pre-Emptively Kill Suspected Terrorists Will Be Protected
The NSW government is set to introduce new laws by the end of this month which give police immunity for pre-emptively shooting a person they suspect of terrorism, even if that person does not pose an imminent threat to others....
No Overseas Travel for Child Sex Offenders
Australia is on the brink of introducing world-first legislation that will stop those convicted of child sex offenders from travelling overseas, in a bid to prevent offending abroad. Sex tourism has become big business globally, particularly developing nations such as...
NSW Lawyer Struck Off For Producing False Evidence
On 19 April 1996, Mark Ireland was admitted to practice as a solicitor in New South Wales. Seventeen years into his career, the lawyer engaged in professional misconduct and was struck off the roll of legal practitioners on 26 May this year....
Bosses Regularly Get Away with Ripping-Off Their Workers
A recent decision by the Fair Work Ombudsman (FWO) highlights the leniency that is frequently afforded to employers who illegally underpay their employees. Former CDPP prosecutor Robert Corr highlights the fact that it is rare for bosses who rip-off their...
NSW Police Fail to Secure Crime Scenes When Officers Are Suspected of Serious Crimes
Crime scenes are being left unsecured in 42% of cases where NSW police are involved in death or serious injury. The failure has been detailed in a report by the Police Integrity Commission (PIC), raising concerns that crime scenes are...
Silk Road Creator’s Life Sentence Fails to Deter Online Drug Transactions
Ross Ulbricht, founder of the online drug marketplace Silk Road, had his life sentence confirmed by a US Federal appeals court on May 31. Mr Ulbricht, known online as Dread Pirate Roberts, created the site in 2011. In its heyday, Silk Road...
Lawyers Angry Over Immigration Minister’s Attack on Asylum Seekers
Federal Immigration Minister, Peter Dutton, has once again managed to create false headlines in an attempt to further demonise asylum seekers. Many groups - from journalists, to immigration lawyers and refugee advocates – have called the Federal Minister out over...
