Corruption and Collusion in the Customs Service
Customs officers are entrusted with the important task of keeping our borders safe from undesirable people and potentially harmful or illegal substances and goods. The Department of Customs and Border Protection prides itself on the professionalism of its staff, and...
Thank You for (Not) Smoking: Is Plain Packaging Effective?
Smoking is one of the leading causes of disease and death in Australia, killing around 15,000 people each year and costing the country around $31.5 billion. In a bid to tackle these issues, Australia led a world-first initiative which saw...
Should Sniffer Dogs be Banned?
Those who regularly attend music festivals will be aware that sniffer dogs routinely patrol the events in an attempt to catch would-be drug users and suppliers. Yet despite their presence, it seems that sniffer dogs do little to deter drug...
Countdown to Execution – Should Chan and Sukumaran be Saved?
The two Australians convicted of drug trafficking ten years ago now face imminent execution in Indonesia. Australians Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran made the 700km journey to the execution island, where it is expected that their execution by firing squad...
Do You Support Cancelling Visas of Migrants Suspected of Crimes?
Since changes to the Migration Act in December 2014, a total of 203 people have already had their visas revoked. This compares to only 374 cancellations in three years from July 2011 to July 2014. The amendments to the Act...
Drug Scandal Rocks Football World – Players Stood Down
If you’re a Gold Coast NRL fan, you may have been disappointed to hear that five Titans players were recently stood down from the club following allegations that they were involved in the supply and possession of cocaine. Players Greg...
Are Proceeds of Crime Laws Unfair?
We have penned a number of blogs over the years about proceeds of crime laws and the applicable penalties. Under section 193C of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), it is a criminal offence to possess or deal with property that...
Should welfare recipients lose their benefits if they test positive to drugs?
In recent years, the suggestion that those on, or applying for, welfare benefits should be forced to undergo drug testing has gained popularity several Western nations. More than that, it has actually been implemented in some countries including New Zealand...
Deaths from Drug Overdoses – Should Drug Suppliers be held Accountable?
We recently published a blog about the “A State of Trance” music festival in Sydney, where a 19-year-old man tragically lost his life from a suspected drug overdose. As with many of our blogs, the post sparked a lively discussion...
The Protection of Police Informants and Prison Inmates: New Information Surrounding the Death of Carl Williams
If you’ve ever seen the hit TV series Underbelly or followed Melbourne’s notorious gangland killings, the name ‘Carl Williams’ might ring a bell. Williams was an underworld drug trafficker who was known to have a long-running feud with fellow drug...
