The Offence of Failing to Comply With a Public Health Order
It has been reported that at around 9.20am on Wednesday, 1 April 2020, a 41-year old woman from Queanbeyan in south eastern New South Wales was walking along a street in Cooma when she allegedly “stepped in front of another...
Defendant Granted Bail Due to Coronavirus Concerns
As the COVID-19 epidemic unfolds, it’s having a substantial impact on the Australian criminal justice system, from the Local Court all the way up to the High Court of Australia. NSW District Court Chief Judge Derek Price announced on 30...
Am I Guilty of a Crime if I Attempted and Failed?
Most criminal offences in New South Wales require the prosecution to prove a number of ‘essential elements’, or ingredients, beyond a reasonable doubt for a person to be found guilty. For example, to establish the offence of sexual assault under...
Should Politicians Take Pay Cuts?
Hundreds of thousands of Australians are out of work or working from home due to the Coronavirus pandemic. Thousands of businesses have shut their doors, many never to reopen. A large number of these have been built by ordinary Australians...
What is the Defence of Necessity?
Police have reported that just after 5pm on Friday, 27 March 2020, police sought to pull over an Audi case that was being driven on Greenacre Road in Greenacre, south-western Sydney. According to police, the vehicle accelerated to at least...
The Offence of Intimidation in New South Wales
On 24 March 2020, a 21-year olf man attended Coffs Harbour Police Station and approached a 71-year-old female officer, before deliberately coughing on her and claiming to have COVID-19, while his friend filmed the incident. When asked if he was...
The NSW Government’s New (In)justice Laws: More Power to Police and Prosecutors
According to NSW Health, as of 8 pm on 24 March, there were 1,029 confirmed cases of COVID-19 in this state, which had jumped by 211 over the prior 24 hours. And it was around this time that state parliament...
The Police State Is Here, Thanks to Coronavirus
For those of us living in Australia right now, every day there’s a new set of rules and regulations handed down from state and Federal Governments as they aim to stop the spread of Coronavirus. Borders have been closed. Events...
Toilet Paper Profiteers Will Be Prosecuted, Warns Dutton
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) and Australia Border Force (ABF) have teamed up to catch hoarders of supermarket goods who are selling them on the black market. In recent weeks, the camaraderie and community spirit shared by thousands of Australians...
What is Obscene Exposure in New South Wales?
It has been reported that on Friday, 13 March 2020, a 49-year old man who boarded a train at Wollongong station exposed himself to a 20-year old woman. According to reports, the woman walked through the carriages but the man...
