Which State is the Toughest on Crime?
A new Report by the Judicial Commission of NSW shows that sentences imposed in NSW are generally harsher than sentences for similar crimes in Victoria and Queensland. The Report looked at the period 2006 to 2013 and focussed on five...
Sexual Relationships With Prison Inmates
Back in 2000, three girls were sexually assaulted by a notorious gang led by the Skaf brothers. It may sound incredible, but several years later a prison psychologist, 33 year old Joanne Natalie Senior, started a love affair with one...
Verbal abuse of sheep: Has the world gone mad?
It was a news story that swept the world, with pun headlines to match. ABC Rural published a story about alleged verbal abuse of sheep, raising the question of whether sheep could understand English. It reported that the activist group...
Wrongful Convictions in Australia
Our criminal justice system has been centuries in the making. Generation after generation has taken pride in the safeguards that our system provides to minimise the chance of innocent people being convicted of crimes, with English jurist William Blackstone famously...
Should Everyone Have the Right to Legal Representation?
Radio ‘shock jocks’ and tabloid newspapers are well known for blasting government-funded community legal centres who represent those accused of serious criminal offences, frequently labelling them a waste of taxpayers’ money. Following the Sydney siege last year, even our own...
Australia’s Worst Serial Killers: Who is the Most Evil?
Former New South Wales Greens MP Jeremy Buckingham told the media in October 2024 that the ‘worst’ serial killer in Australia’s history could be the person responsible for several of the 67 missing or murdered women in New South Wales...
The US Winds Back Mass Surveillance Laws
People living in the United States are said to be some of the most watched on the planet, with the National Security Agency (NSA) ramping up mass surveillance following the events of September 11, 2001. The nation’s willingness to monitor...
A National Firearms Database: Will It Stop The Guns?
As investigations into the Martin Place siege continue to unfold, one of the key concerns is how the shooter Man Haron Monis got his hands on a gun. In the wake of the siege, the federal government is fast-tracking a...
Nurses May Soon Have Police Powers
It is no secret that the excessive use of alcohol and drugs like ‘ice’ can contribute to the commission of violent crimes. The unfortunate recipients of drug and alcohol-fuelled violence are often paramedics, nurses, doctors and other frontline healthcare professionals....
Pretty in Pink: Prisoners Wearing Pink Uniforms
Going to prison involves a lot of changes, which can be stressful and daunting for those who are sent away for the first time. One of those changes is that inmates must wear prison uniforms. If you happened to be...
