New Federal Hate Crime Offences and Penalties in Australia
The Criminal Code Amendment (Hate Crimes) Bill 2025 (Cth) was passed by both houses of the federal parliament on 6 February 2025 and will soon come into force across Australia. The Bill amends the Criminal Code Act (Cth) (‘the Act’)...
Big Wig Buys His Way Out of Tax Crimes, While ATO Whistleblower Is Criminally Prosecuted for Exposing Them
The close to a fortnight-old scandal relating to Mineral Resources boss Chris Ellison is continuing to develop, following the Australian Financial Review having run an 18 October article exposing one of the nation’s richest people as having established a series...
The Laws, Defences and Penalties for Failing to Lodge a Tax Return in Australia
A Queensland lawyer who charged with five tax offences involving 105 breaches of taxation legislation has been suspended from practising law until 27 February 2026. The Queensland Civil and Administrative Tribunal published a judgment on 18 September 2024 which found...
The Criminal Offence of Forced Marriage in Australia
Ruqia Haidari had a hard life as it was - she and her family had to flee the Taliban to relocate to the Afghan Hazara community in Shepparton to begin a new life. In addition to political unrest in her...
The Proposed Federal Offence of Sharing Deepfake Adult Porn in Australia
Federal attorney general Mark Dreyfus has introduced legislation that proposes new criminal offences to prevent the sharing of nonconsensual sexually explicit material online, including deepfakes, and making these offences consistent across the nation. Indeed, it’s the images created by artificial...
What is an Indictable Offence in New South Wales?
An indictable offence is one which can be committed (or referred) to a higher court such as the District or Supreme Court, rather than remain and be finalised in the Local Court. These offences typically carry maximum penalties of more...
Theo Speaks: Pro-Palestinian Citizen Threatened With Bomb Pushes for Terrorism Charges
Imagine walking out to your driveway and finding a homemade bomb sitting on the bonnet of your car. The explosive device is made of a jerry can, partially filled with petrol, with a rag hanging out. Bolts are strapped to...
Terrorist Act Against Pro-Palestinian Not Regarded as Terrorism at All
A resident of Botany and his partner came across a do-it-yourself bomb sitting atop the bonnet of his ute parked in his driveway, near the Palestinian flag he’d erected by his letterbox, along with a message board expressing his dismay...
Returned ‘ISIS Wife’ Pleads Guilty to Entering and Remaining in a ‘Declared Land’
A New South Wales woman has pleaded guilty and will be sentenced for willingly entering and staying in Syria to be with her husband, who is accused of being a member of the declared terrorist organisation Islamic State. Australian citizen...
Is Doxxing a Criminal Offence In Australia?
The Albanese government is proposing a new criminal offences for ‘doxxing’, after chat logs of a pro-Israeli WhatsApp group in Australia were released online last week. The details were leaked by pro-Palestinian activists who were documenting the involvement of prominent...