People from all backgrounds have found themselves in trouble for Drug Possession. Find out How to Avoid a Conviction.
He may seem like an unlikely suspect, but former Gold Coast drug squad detective Peter Betts was recently found guilty of drug possession. A search of Mr Betts’ home and car in late October uncovered a single tablet of ecstasy,...
A First-Hand Look at Recreational Marijuana in the Mile High City
In recent times, a move towards the legalisation of marijuana for recreational purposes in NSW has been gaining momentum. Earlier this year, the NSW State Government began clinical trials on the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Even our usually...
Is a Positive Indication by a Sniffer Dog Enough for Police to Search You? Part 2: Applying Empirical Data
In Part 1 of this series, we outlined the law relating to ‘reasonable suspicion’. To re-cap, the law says that police can only search you for drugs if they have a ‘suspicion on reasonable grounds’ that you have drugs on...
Is a Positive Indication by a Sniffer Dog Enough for Police to Search You? Part 1: “Reasonable Suspicion”
We have posted numerous articles and videos about the fact that police cannot undertake random or arbitrary searches upon people - they must have a ‘suspicion on reasonable grounds’ before performing a search. This two-part blog aims to answer the...
Drug Detection Dogs Reportedly Providing False Leads
It has been revealed that the majority of strip searches by police based on indications from drug detection dogs do not result in any drugs being found. Government data obtained by the NSW Greens and reported in the media reveals...
Why Have Female Arrest Rates Increased in Recent Years?
According to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR), adult female arrest rates are on the increase. The number of adult female persons of interest in criminal cases in NSW over the last decade has increased by an...
AC/DC Drummer charged over hiring a hitman to kill two people, charges then withdrawn
Renowned AC/DC drummer Phil Rudd made headlines for all the wrong reasons this week, after it was alleged that he hired a hitman to kill two people. He was charged with attempting to procure a murder, threatening to kill and...
The zero-tolerance approach: do we really need to get ‘tough on crime’?
In 1989, President Bush proclaimed “The rules have changed: if you sell drugs, you will be caught, and when you’re caught, you will be prosecuted; and once you’re convicted, you will do time.” Many have declared the “war on drugs”...
Legalisation of Cannabis Moves Closer
The campaign to legalise cannabis for medical purposes has taken an unexpected leap forward with support from the prime minister, and a clinical trial to go ahead in NSW. Prime Minister Tony Abbott wrote a letter to well known talkback...
What penalties do the courts really hand-down for drug possession charges?
Ever wondered what the penalties are for drug possession ? Not the maximum penalties – but the penalties that are really handed-down by the courts? It might surprise you that most people who are guilty of drug possession receive criminal...
