Language Barriers in the Criminal Justice System
The Australian legal system is premised on notions of justice, fairness and equality before the law, but in reality the system often fails the most disadvantaged members of our community. Amongst our most vulnerable are Indigenous Australians, who are often...
‘Ice’ Dealers to Face Mandatory Minimum Prison Sentences
Police Commissioner Andrew Scipione has linked the increase in domestic violence to the drug “ice”, and has called upon governments to introduce mandatory minimum sentences for methylamphetamine dealers and manufacturers. In a press conference, Mr Scipione stated that: “We have...
Crazy Criminal Costumes
On Monday, 7 September 2015, a man wearing a mutant ninja turtle mask was captured on CCTV footage (see above) stealing a BMW motorcycle from a Melbourne car dealership. The character he chose was Leonardo, the one with the blue...
Fighting for Life: An Aboriginal Man’s Struggle
Prejudice against Indigenous Australians has been rife since colonisation. Regrettably, the plight of our original Australians is riddled with accounts of horrific abuse and cultural decimation by white colonists, including physical and sexual abuse, and shocking massacres of men, women...
Outrageous Legal Bills and What To Do About Them
Having to pay for a lawyer to prepare your case and go to court is one thing - but how would you feel if you were billed for your lawyer’s ‘friendly’ welcome letter? 27-year-old Chris ‘Wombat’ McGrath certainly wasn’t happy...
Fake Nurse Charged with Fraud
A woman who allegedly falsified her credentials as a qualified aged care worker is facing 20 charges of working as a nurse without registration, and a further 6 charges of “obtaining a financial advantage through deception”. 64-year-old Jennifer Anne Reed...
Should Offenders Avoid Deportation if their Children are Citizens?
Earlier this year, a man in the UK was successful in overturning his deportation order because he had a child in Britain. The man, known only as VADSM, had been convicted of several driving offences, acting with intent to pervert...
Paying People to Reduce Crime
Gun violence is an enormous problem in the United States, but one US city has come up with a novel way to reduce shootings - by offering its residents cold hard cash to put their guns down. The city of...
Autism and the Criminal Justice System
It seems clear that having a mental health condition can fundamentally impact upon a person’s experience with the criminal justice system. But what if police, lawyers and courts are not aware that the person before them has such a condition?...
Prisons Minister Will Do Anything to Please Ray…
“It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.” - Nelson Mandela The above sentiment...
