Tough New Laws Against Hate Speech
The NSW government is proposing to introduce new laws designed to crack down on hate speech and racial vilification that are intended to incite violence. Under the proposed new laws, those who incite or threaten violence against others on the...
Catholic Priests Refuse to Report Child Sexual Abuse
South Australian Catholic priests say they will defy a forthcoming state law which will require them to report information received during past or present confessions about child sex abuse. The South Australian Catholic Church has made it clear its members...
Trio Not Guilty of Breaking Anti-Protest Laws
Mudgee Local Court magistrate David Day has dismissed the proceedings against two women and a man who were arrested and charged last year while protesting against the expansion of the Wilpinjong coal mine, near the town of Wollar where they live....
Double Jeopardy Laws in New South Wales
The principle of double jeopardy stipulates that a person cannot be tried twice over the same offence. The rationale is that a person who is acquitted after being put through the ordeal of a criminal trial should be able to...
Australia Accused of War Crimes in Afghanistan
Australian Defence Minister, Marise Payne, has defended Australian soldiers after internal reports suggest they have engaged in the “unsanctioned and illegal application of violence” in Afghanistan. SASR soldiers accused of heinous crimes Disturbing reports have surfaced from inside the Australian...
Should the Public be Able to Elect and Dismiss Judges?
In NSW, magistrates and judges are appointed by the governor in council upon recommendation by the state’s attorney general. They may be considered for appointment by applying for a job vacancy or after being nominated by another party. In the...
Drug Driving Laws Criminalise the Legal Use of Cannabis
The Berejiklian government announced in January that NSW police are set to more than double the number of roadside drug tests they conduct from 97,000 to 200,000 a year by 2020. And along with more tests, another drug will be added...
Facial Recognition Technology: Turning Innocent People Into Suspects
The South Wales police are standing by their facial recognition software despite the fact that its use during last year’s Champions League Final yielded a 92% rate of false positives. Data published on the force’s website suggests that of the...
Can NSW Police Exclude Patrons Based on a Positive Drug Indication Alone?
There is an enormous amount of evidence to suggest that positive indications by drug detection dogs are not a reliable indicator of the presence of drugs. Police figures suggest that between two-thirds and eighty percent of positive indications are ‘false’...
Police Commissioner Guilty of Attempting to Pervert the Course of Justice
A Supreme Court jury has found former Northern Territory police commissioner John McRoberts guilty of attempting to pervert the course of justice. Mr McRoberts faces up to 15 years in prison after he attempted to “deflect” or “frustrate” a 2014...
