Category: Criminal Law

These days, it seems that every time a nasty policy suggestion is announced in Canberra, it’s Peter Dutton standing at the podium. Indeed, the ultra-conservative Liberal minister doesn’t seem to be at ease unless he’s making some divisive statement. The Australian Border Force, ASIO and the Australian federal police all now lie under his tutelage ...

By Paul Gregoire and Ugur Nedim Late last night, the parliament of NSW passed one of the most comprehensive criminal justice reform packages in state history. The state’s attorney general Mark Speakman introduced the legislation designed to crackdown on child sexual predators into state parliament on June 6. The Criminal Legislation Amendment (Child Sexual Abuse) Bill ...

For those who are pleading guilty to a criminal or traffic offence, it is a good idea to arrange for the preparation of up to three character reference letters for the court to consider during the sentencing process. References that are prepared by the right people and which contain relevant information will be considered by ...

By Sonia Hickey and Ugur Nedim A New South Wales police officer has been spared prison time after filming a colleague without consent while they were having sex and sharing it online to boast to colleagues. 28-year old senior constable Timothy Patterson filmed a sexual encounter with a fellow off-duty officer at a city hotel ...

Using the internet to meet new friends, set up potential dates, hook up sexual liaisons or seek out a life partner is a worldwide phenomenon. For the most part, users of online social platforms can rely on the profiles of others to get a rough idea of who they are and what they look like ...

By Zeb Holmes and Ugur Nedim 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 grounds of race, religion, sexual orientation or HIV status ...

By Sonia Hickey and Ugur Nedim 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 will be directed not adhere to the laws because ...

Programs, strategies and policies designed to prevent or reduce the harms associated with the use of illicit substances are collectively known as harm reduction. This approach to drug use has been a key pillar of Australia’s National Drug Strategy since its first iteration in 1985. With the HIV/AIDS crisis looming in the mid-80s, it became ...

A recent report has concluded that a key initiative designed to combat domestic violence is failing complainants. The report by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) suggests that the Domestic Violence Safety Assessment Tool (DVSAT), is a “very poor instrument measuring the risk of repeat domestic violence victimisation, often performing little better ...

By Ugur Nedim and Zeb Holmes 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. Bev Smiles, Bruce Hughes and Stephanie Luce, known as ...