ICAC Requests New Anti-Corruption Laws
According to the Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC), current laws are not enough to prosecute public figures who are accused of protecting their own financial interests. The head of the ICAC, Megan Latham, recently requested that the Crimes Act be...
Over Policing of Indigenous Australians and the Trifecta of Charges
The Australian Human Rights Commission states that Indigenous Australians are 17.3 times more likely to be arrested than Non-Indigenous Australians. In Western Australia, the Indigenous over-representation rate is four times the national average. Indigenous people are twice as likely as...
Sydney Crime Rates Impacted by Parole, Study Suggests
Figures released recently by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) suggest that NSW crime rates, including Sydney crime rates, can be affected by whether or not those who have served their time in prison are granted parole....
Changes to Crash Reporting Requirements in NSW
The laws surrounding how and when traffic accidents should be reported have been changed, with the amended laws due to come into force on October 15. These changes, which are intended to streamline crash-reporting processes and alleviate time spent by...
Is the NSW One Punch Law Working to Reduce Violence?
The NSW one punch law has recently been put to the test with the first person being charged under the controversial new legislation, which the government says seems to be working in the fight to reduce alcohol-fuelled violence on Sydney...
Several NSW Speed Cameras will be Removed
Most of us have been guilty of speeding a little at some point through our driving lifetime, and judging by the $150 million in revenue raised by speeding fines across NSW in the last financial year, drivers fork out a...
Terror: On Words, Power and Perception
The stock-in-trade of the media is words. Sometimes dry, sometimes emotional, these words greet the public with an air of factual authority – whatever the platform. Recently in Australia reportage on the topic of ‘terror’ has been thought-provoking at times,...
When can I be strip-searched?
Strip-searching is one of the most invasive intrusions of privacy. It should therefore only be undertaken in rare circumstances, when there are no other alternatives. Unfortunately, this does not always happen. In Broken Hill in 2011, several NSW police officers...
Can I Change Paying My Centrelink Debt to Community Service?
If you have been overpaid by Centrelink you will have a debt raised against you. Even if you have done nothing wrong, or the overpayment was a result of a genuine mistake on your part, you will still be required...
What Are The Most Common Tax Evasion Penalties?
Tax evasion is a serious criminal offence and can come with harsh consequences. Tax evasion penalties can range from a good behaviour bond to long-term imprisonment, so it’s important to take any charges or allegations of tax evasion seriously. Always...