Copycat Crimes
The “copycat effect” refers to crimes which are inspired by media coverage of a previous crimes - or movies and TV shows which document fictional offences. Over the years, there have been a number of high-profile “copycat crimes” both in...
43 Years in Isolation: Cruel and Inhumane Punishment?
It’s been a long and lonely road to freedom for Albert Woodfox - who, until his recent release, was America’s longest-serving solitary confinement prisoner. Mr Woodfox had been kept in isolation since 1972, when he, along with co-accused Herman Wallace,...
Australia’s Most Famous Bank Robbery
Bank robberies and dramatic ‘hold-ups’ make for gripping movie plots - but to what extent does this mirror real life? Just last week, a botched bank robbery took place in Sydney’s CBD, right in front of visiting celebrity Kelly Osborne,...
Police Get Serious About Enforcing Laser Pointer Laws
While it may sound like fun to play superhero with a pocket laser, as Obi-Wan Kenobi has said, a lightsaber is “the weapon of a Jedi Knight. Not as clumsy or random as a blaster. An elegant weapon for a...
Firearms Control Laws: Has Australia Got It Right?
Australia and the United States share many similarities - but one of the most striking differences is their respective approaches to gun ownership. Australia has gained recognition for its progressive approach to gun violence following the horrific Port Arthur massacre...
What You Shouldn’t Do in a Public Place
The silly season is upon us - and for most of us, the holiday period is marked by festivities and celebrations with family and friends. It is an especially busy period for police across Australia, who will charge thousands of...
NSW Police Adopt a ‘Shoot to Kill’ Policy
On the 13th of November 2015, the world watched in horror as a group of armed men carried out a series of orchestrated attacks at various locations around Paris. In the wake of these atrocities, the international community has been...
Where are they now? Defendants in famous criminal law cases
When examining the criminal law for principles and precedents, it can be easy to forget that each case involved real human beings. These individuals often have interesting lives beyond their landmark cases, and their criminal proceedings can have a lasting...
Police Fatally Shoot 11-Month Old Dog: ‘Justice for Hulk’
On 10 October, police paid a visit to the home of 23-year-old Daniel Still following claims that he had threatened people at Lake Macquarie. When they arrived, Mr Still’s dog, 11-month-old Hulk, defended his territory and allegedly attacked the officer...
Police Taser Man then Delete the Footage
Extra police powers introduced in 2013 allow Queensland officers to stop, detain and search a person without a warrant for “anything that may provide evidence of the commission of an offence” if they have a “reasonable suspicion” that the person...
