Policemen Prey on Victims of Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence
Who would you call if you were a victim of unwelcome sexual contact? For most people, the first thing that springs to mind is: ‘The police.’ But what happens when the person who is making the advances is a senior...
Judge Refers to Defendant as ‘Mr Guilty’
‘Freudian slips’ happen to all of us from time to time. Unfortunately, judges are also prone to slip-ups - even when giving crucial instructions to jurors when a defendant’s future is on the line. Indeed, there are several instances of...
Sneezing: A Defence Against Driving Charges?
Negligent, reckless and dangerous driving charges often follow collisions where a person is seriously hurt. As discussed in a previous blog, drivers must be acting voluntarily to be found guilty of driving offences. Being asleep, acting under duress (under threat),...
Reducing Reoffending: Prison versus Suspended Sentences
A prison sentence is supposed to send a strong message to the individual and the wider community that crime is not tolerated, and that heavy sanctions apply to those who dare to break the law. But a study published by...
The Dangers of Drowsy Driving
The law in Australia is that a person cannot be found guilty of dangerous or reckless driving if they were asleep at the time, as long as they honestly and reasonably believed they would not fall asleep. In other words,...
Bushrangers: Aussie Legends or Vile Criminals?
Bushrangers, once a terrifying part of the Australian landscape, now only occupy pages of in history books. Yet some of these early Australian criminals were fascinating people in their own right. Early bushrangers were called ‘bolters’ because they were escaped...
Australia to Get National Crime Database
The Australian Crime Commission (ACC) is a Commonwealth body tasked with fighting organised crime in Australia. The body has recently proposed the creation of a National Criminal Database to give law enforcement agencies across Australia greater access to intelligence about...
Selfie with Stolen Echidna Gets Men into Strife
In August of this year, Tyson Paul Bother and a friend broke into Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in the Gold Coast and took an echidna named ‘Piggie’ after a few too many drinks. According to Mr Bother, they intended to steal...
Man Narrowly Escapes Prison for Assault at Newtown Pub
A man who assaulted a transgender woman at a Newtown pub has narrowly escaped prison time. Alexis Ozanne is one of two men charged with assaulting Stephanie McCarthy at a Newtown pub. He pleaded guilty to ‘affray’ and ‘assault occasioning...
Extremists Treated Differently Based Upon Religion
Media reporting about the threat of terrorism in Australia is relentless, with the focus almost exclusively being upon international Muslim extremist groups. In the wake of the tragic Paris attacks, public fear has triggered calls for a range of measures...
