Obama Frees Drug Offenders: Is Clemency Ever Justified?
In what has been hailed a remarkable act of mercy, President Obama last week used his power to order the release of 46 inmates who were serving sentences for non-violent drug offences. The move came as part of Obama’s promise...
Ten Celebrity Arrests
They might live a life of glitz and glamour, but A-list stars have a knack of finding themselves on the wrong side of the law. The mega trials of Michael Jackson, OJ Simpson and the ‘Blade Runner’ are known to...
What Happens if State and Federal Criminal Offences Conflict?
When it comes to criminal law, you may have noticed that both state and federal governments have enacted a range of criminal offences. In NSW, the major piece of legislation that sets out criminal offences is the Crimes Act 1900,...
Should Welfare Recipients Get Cashless Cards?
There has been much discussion in the media about how to effectively manage welfare payments, with conservative columnists and radio-hosts accusing welfare recipients of ‘blowing money on alcohol, drugs and gambling.’ Those personalities will be happy to hear that the...
Criminal Lawyer Facing Drug Charges
We might count on criminal defence lawyers to get us out of sticky situations every now and then, but as one criminal lawyer in Sydney recently found out, being a lawyer does not mean that you are immune from criminal...
The Muldrock Error is a Winner for Some
Two convicted killers have recently had their sentences cut on appeal, using the so-called Muldrock error as grounds. Both Yusuf Aytugrul and William Matheson claimed Muldrock error, and were successful in getting time off their non-parole periods and maximum sentences....
He Made Me Do It! Duress in Criminal Cases
Duress is a legal defence that applies when a person is forced to commit the actions which comprise a criminal offence. Duress is a complete defence, which means a person charged with a criminal offence will be found not guilty...
Blaming Actions on Addictions – Setting the Record Straight
The current ‘ice’ epidemic has thrown the legal system into turmoil, with the public outraged that drug users are said to be using their addiction to escape convictions or secure lenient penalties. Some have voiced their concern that if Australia’s...
Smoking Cannabis While Pregnant is “My Business”
Meet Billie Jo Wilkie, a 21-year-old from one of the most economically and socially disadvantaged suburbs of Sydney. If you were one of the 935,000 Australians who tuned in to the controversial TV show ‘Struggle Street’, you are probably familiar...
Is the AFP Partly Responsible For the Deaths of Chan and Sukamaran?
Australians were outraged by the execution of ‘Bali Nine’ members Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran in Indonesia on 29 April this year. Many were equally appalled that their deaths might have been avoided if the Australian Federal Police (AFP) had...
