Art or a crime? Acclaimed Street Artist Faces Graffiti Charges
Acclaimed Australian artist, Anthony Lister, whose works appear in the homes of celebrities like Hugh Jackman, Pink, and Pharrell Williams, appeared in a Brisbane court recently, charged with wilful damage by graffiti. Hailed as “Brisbane’s Banksy”, Mr Lister is widely...
Five Famously Funny Aussies with Law Degrees
Their famously funny faces light up our television screens, but you may not know that some of Australia’s most successful comedians are hiding a dirty little secret – law degrees. People usually hold strong views about members of the legal...
Making a Murderer: David vs Goliath
The ten-hour Netflix documentary series, Making a Murderer, follows the trials of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey for the rape and murder of Teresa Halbach, revealing significant problems with adversarial justice systems - where a defendant with limited funds is...
New Tool Aims to Nip Extremism in the Bud
Reports surfaced last week about extremist preacher Abu Haleema targeting young Australians through social media in a bid to ‘radicalise’ them. British-born Haleema had his passport cancelled by the British government due to his inflammatory sermons which attack moderate Muslim...
Australia Day or Invasion Day?
The 26th of January marks the landing of the First Fleet at Port Jackson in 1788. Millions of Australians celebrate this anniversary each year - usually by throwing a traditional Aussie barbecue, heading down to the beach, or playing a...
The Profile of a Prolific Perpetrator
What drives a person to commit a crime? Are certain people more likely to offend? These questions have been considered for hundreds of years, with everything from physical characteristics to class status being seen as responsible for an increased likelihood...
Extreme Drink Driving Cases
Drink driving is the most common criminal offence before the courts each year, making up roughly 20% of all cases in NSW; with mid range drink driving taking the top spot as the state’s most detected criminal offence. While many drivers...
Police Want Corruption Hearings to be Private
As discussed in a previous blog, the vast majority of court hearings in Australia are open to the public - which is important to promote transparency in the justice system. But two Victorian police officers who are facing multiple allegations...
Don’t Get High on Your Own Supply
There are many stories about ingenious criminal masterminds - people who are able to plan elaborate schemes and get away with it, often making vast sums of money in the process. On the other hand, there are those who might...
0.05 Alcohol Limit for Drink Driving: Has Australia Got it Right?
In Australia, drivers are required to maintain a blood alcohol concentration (BAC) of under 0.05% (i.e. 0.05 grams of alcohol per 100 mL of blood). Readings of 0.05 to 0.079 are classified as ‘low range’, readings between 0.08 and 0.149...
