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...
What Are Police Really Spending Their Time On?
According to the Police Act 1990, the mission of the NSW Police Force is ‘to work with the community to reduce violence, crime and fear.’ The same Act says that the role of the force is to provide services for...
How Should We Tackle Crime in Public Housing?
Drug dealing, domestic violence, malicious damage – public housing estates have always had a reputation for being hotspots for criminal activity, and over the years a multitude of proposals have been implemented in an attempt to address these issues, with...
A Mother’s Account of Her Son’s Ice Addiction: A Sydney Criminal Lawyers® Exclusive
At the end of last year I waited, wondering if - despite the reassurances of hospital staff - the police would take my missing persons report seriously. My son had only disappeared that afternoon. However, he’d disappeared from the hospital...
Is There a Drug Problem Among Truck Drivers?
Truck driving is certainly not a cushy job. It is laborious and sometimes dangerous work, with truckies amongst the most likely to be injured or killed at work. It is well-known that truck drivers may be expected to work long...
Law and Order Promises: Just a Vote Grab?
If state election campaigns tend to follow a theme, the recent NSW election was no exception. There were the usual promises about improving services and infrastructure, and building better roads. And, of course, promises relating to law and order were...
Do police make-up evidence to get convictions?
In NSW, section 317 of the Crimes Act 1900 makes it a criminal offence to tamper with evidence. The section says that anyone who attempts to mislead the court by fabricating false evidence, by making use of false evidence or...
