Category: Commonwealth Offences

A Senate committee has just given the Turnbull government the green light to nationalise a scheme that allows government to seize citizens’ assets unless their legitimate origins can be explained, even if the owner of the wealth hasn’t been charged with let alone convicted of an offence. On 6 August, the Senate Legal and Constitutional ...

The Norwegian freighter MV Tampa entered Australian waters on 29 August 2001, carrying 433 asylum seekers who’d been stranded on a fishing boat in the Indian Ocean. The vessel crossed the maritime boundary close to Christmas Island, despite having been refused entry by Australia. Australian authorities responded by sending special forces troops to board the ship ...

By Sonia Hickey and Ugur Nedim A 12-year investigation has culminated in the sentencing of a businessman behind what has been described as Australia’s biggest tax fraud. The NSW Supreme Court has sentenced Gold Coast businessman Michael Issakidis to a full term of ten years in prison, with a minimum term of 7 and a ...

By Sonia Hickey and Ugur Nedim It has been reported that case-activity at Queensland’s second busiest courthouse will be significantly reduced during the Commonwealth Games in April, due to traffic and congestion expected on the Gold Coast. Courtrooms shut down Between April 3 and 15, only two courts will operate from a total of ten ...

Being prosecuted for a criminal or traffic offence can be a nerve-wracking experience. You may be unfamiliar with the process, unsure of the best way forward and concerned about the outcome. But whether you are charged with a less-serious matter such as drug possession, drink driving or common assault, or accused of something as serious as ...

By Paul Gregoire and Ugur Nedim Many will recall last year’s battle between the United States Justice Department and technology giant Apple, whereby the former spent millions of dollars trying to force the latter to unlock the IPhone of a gunman allegedly involved in the San Bernadino terrorist attack. The Justice Department felt the need ...

A prominent barrister believes the federal human services minister or one of his staff may have committed a crime by releasing a Centrelink client’s personal information. Robert Richter QC was commissioned by the federal Labor party to provide advice on whether releasing the tax and relationship details of a recipient who was critical of Centrelink’s ...

By Sonia Hickey and Ugur Nedim The federal government has declared its twelve-month trial of ‘cashless’ welfare cards a huge success, after an evaluation found it has contributed to a reduction in alcohol consumption and gambling in rural communities. The government is so pleased with the results that it has announced an extension of the ...

Two weeks ago, boxes containing hundreds of copies of a book defaming the character of exiled Uyghur leader Rebiya Kadeer were mysteriously dropped off out the front of several Sydney mosques. The incident seems to be an attempt to discredit the renowned activist’s reputation amongst her local supporters – most Uyghurs being Muslims. A total ...

Victorian Supreme Court Judge Mark Weinberg has seen a great deal in his 50 years as a lawyer, including the criminal law’s “shift from common law to statute, and in some cases, to codification”. In his speech to the Victorian Law Foundation’s annual Law Oration on 21 July 2016, Weinberg argues that parliaments have enacted ...