NSW Government’s Attack on Civil Liberties
The New South Wales Government has attracted widespread criticism from civil liberties groups, after passing new ‘anti-protest’ legislation in parliament this week. The new laws, passed on Tuesday, will see increased penalties for protesters at mining and coal-seam gas sites,...
Government Tries to Help Police Avoid Investigation
You may have heard of ICAC, a NSW body which investigates corruption in a range of public bodies, including the police force. Victoria has a similar organisation called IBAC, or the Independent Broad Based Anti-Corruption Commission. Under the Victorian IBAC Act,...
Copycat Crimes
The “copycat effect” refers to crimes which are inspired by media coverage of a previous crimes - or movies and TV shows which document fictional offences. Over the years, there have been a number of high-profile “copycat crimes” both in...
Melbourne Mafia Lawyer Murdered
Melbourne’s close-knit legal community is mourning the loss of one of their own today - criminal defence lawyer Joseph “Pino” Acquaro was gunned down outside his Brunswick gelato shop in the early hours of yesterday morning. 54-year-old Mr Acquaro famously...
The Importance of Seeking Legal Advice Early
Being charged with a criminal offence can be a daunting and confronting experience - so it’s natural to try and put things to the back of your mind until you feel ready to deal with them. As criminal lawyers, we...
The Multi-Million Dollar Spelling Mistake
Despite masterminding one of the biggest bank thefts in history, one group of hackers narrowly failed in its recent attempt to scam money due to a humble spelling error. The Bangladesh Central Bank was the chosen target. Hacking and using...
McLibel: Taking On a Fast Food Giant
In 1986, “London Greenpeace”, a small environmental campaign group, begun distributing a pamphlet outside McDonald’s stores around the city. ‘What’s wrong with McDonald’s: Everything they don’t want you to know’ quickly became one of the most popular political pamphlets of...
Defendant Appeals Because Lawyer Refused to Make Complainant Cry
A man has attempted to have his conviction overturned because his criminal defence lawyer did not reduce the victim to tears during cross-examination. Francis Kofi Okrah was sentenced to seven years in prison after being found guilty of sexual assault...
The Law on Refusing a Breath Test or Analysis in NSW
Many jurisdictions, including NSW, have laws which make it a crime for drivers to refuse a breath test by police. The state of Kansas in the USA had similar laws in place - until recently. Last month, the Supreme Court...
Spitting at a Baby, What’s the World Coming to?
Last week, a four-month old baby and her grandfather were enjoying a peaceful afternoon stroll down Crown Street in Surry Hills when a man, completely unknown to them, approached the pair and spat in the baby’s face. The man then...
