Why Pell Walked: The High Court’s Findings
The full-bench of the High Court of Australia unanimously entered verdicts of acquittal in favour of appellant George Pell on 7 April 2020, in relation to child sexual offences in respect of which a jury unanimously found him guilty in...
The Offence of Termination of Pregnancy by an Unqualified Person
Until late 2019, it was a crime in New South Wales for a woman to have an abortion, or for another to perform an abortion or supply a drug for use in an abortion. These abortion offences were contained in...
COVID-19 Highlights the Need for an Australian Bill of Rights
Around the world, legal proceedings are being commenced against governments over social control measures implemented during COVID-19, but this presents a legal conundrum which must weigh the reduction of freedoms and legal safeguards against the need to stop the spread...
The Offence of Intentionally Coughing On or Spitting At a Public Official
Today, the New South Wales Minister for Health and Medical Research, Brad Hazzard, passed the Public Health (COVID-19 Spitting and Coughing) Order 2020 under the provisions of section 7 of the Public Health Act 2010. The order was gazetted within...
Can Police Enter My Residence to Check Compliance With a Public Health Order?
The outbreak of COVID-19 has led to unprecedented controls being placed on the Australian population, significantly restricting movement, association and gatherings. State and federal parliaments have been shut down, the executive has taken over powers normally exercised by parliament and...
The Law on Observing, Filming and Distributing Intimate Images in NSW
Isolation can be lonely, so it’s only natural that many of us will be reaching out in intimate ways via text and video-calls whilst we are cooped up indoors. But ‘sexting’ in the time of COVID-19 comes with certain risks...
The Offence of Criminal Negligence in New South Wales
The same day that The New South Wales Government ordered the closure of Bondi Beach, slamming beachgoers for being careless and flouting COVID-19 social distancing regulations, the Ruby Princess was given the go-ahead to dock in Sydney, bringing with her...
COVID-19 Social Controls: ‘An Authoritarian Wet Dream In Progress’
In the past several weeks, the government has pushed through legislation with unprecedented speed, ostensibly to slow the spread of COVID-19 by enforcing physical distancing and restricting travel. Amongst these laws are those which severely restrict our freedom of movement...
What is the Offence of Drug Supply in New South Wales?
It has been reported that at around 1.15pm, Thursday 3 April 2020, a 37-year old man from Lane Cove in the lower northern suburbs of Sydney attended a hotel on Elizabeth Street in the Sydney CBD to deliver a box...
All Local Court Bail Applications to Be Heard in the Downing Centre
The past few weeks have seen drastic changes to the way in which criminal cases are dealt with in the Children’s, Local, District and Supreme Courts. On 2 April 2020, the Chief Magistrate of New South Wales, Judge Graeme Henson,...
