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...
Will Coronavirus Lead to a Rise in Domestic Violence Offences?
Around Australia, police services, criminal defence law firms and family violence support lines are all reporting a ‘higher than usual ‘ number of calls relating to alleged domestic violence offences. The threat of Coronavirus (COVID-19), and stern health warnings from...
The Great Aussie Shit Fight Over Toilet Paper
At first, it was mildly humorous to see people stocking up on toilet paper. And to see the various memes floating around the internet taking the mickey out of the latest Australian shopping craze, showing innovative solutions, like toilets hooked...
Private Criminal Prosecutions in New South Wales
Police told 31-year old Dani* (not her real name) that there was a prima facie case against her former partner for threatening violence, which means there was enough evidence for a magistrate to convict him, but decided not to prosecute...
Are All Body Modifications Legal in Australia?
From horn implants to split tongues and scrotal injections - extreme forms of body art, sometimes called ‘body modifications’, are becoming increasingly popular and gaining greater social acceptance. But Australian law doesn’t seem to be keeping up with changing attitudes...
Which Crimes Are Most Frequently Detected in Australia?
The common populist phrase ‘if you do the crime, you should do the time’ suggests that those who commit criminal offences should be caught and prosecuted – regardless of how trivial or outdated the offence may be, or how futile...
What is Stalking in New South Wales?
The SBS Insight program featured a segment some time ago about the nature and prevalence of stalking in Australia, with alleged offenders, complainants and police officers relating their experiences of such conduct and the criminal justice system’s treatment of it....
Lockout Laws to be Relaxed in Sydney
January doesn’t just signal the start of a new year, it’s also when a range of new laws will commence in New South Wales. Rollback of lockout laws For many late-night business operators and socialisers, the rollback of lock out...
The Offence of Choking, Suffocation and Strangulation in New South Wales
In December 2018, the NSW Parliament passed the Crimes Legislation Amendment Bill which inserted a new section 37(1A) into the Crimes Act 1900. Unlike the existing section 37, subsection (1A) does not require the prosecution to prove that the defendant’s...
What is Extortion?
The Federal Court’s judgment in 2020 had found Centrelink’s ‘robodebt system’ to be unlawful, and ordered the federal government to pay the legal costs of a social security recipient who challenged a debt notice that was issued to her in...
