Belle Gibson Guilty, But Not Deterred
The federal court delivered its judgment on disgraced wellness blogger Belle Gibson this week, finding she broke the law in “most but not all” of the allegations brought against her. In handing down the decision, Justice Mortimer found that Ms Gibson...
Tsunami of Legal Problems for Former Surfwear Boss
Ex-Billabong Chief Matthew Perrin has started his eight-year sentence at Arthur Gorrie Correctional Centre after being convicted of fraud, but his legal problems are far from over. The one-time high corporate high-flyer from the Gold Coast accumulated a $150 million...
Centrelink to Amend its Flawed Debt Recovery Process
When Centrelink tweeted the Lifeline suicide helpline number in December, many began to realise the magnitude of the problems with the agency’s debt recovery initiative. Social media posts painted a concerning picture of an understaffed, under-resourced agency that could not...
Credit Card Thief Finds Loophole
A young man who allegedly stole credit cards in early December has found a way of getting around the problem of having to quickly buy goods before the stolen credit cards are cancelled – he just used the credit cards...
Lawyer Sent to Prison for Defrauding Clients of $1.8 Million
We previously reported on the case of Russell Biddle, a Gold Coast lawyer accused of stealing over $1 million of client funds after his firm was entrusted to manage a wealthy couple’s estate. Mr Biddle was alleged to have made...
Empowering Women Inmates: An Interview with WIPAN President Kat Armstrong
More women in Australia are being incarcerated than ever before. Australian Bureau of Statistics figures suggest that since 2005, the incarceration rate for women has risen by close to 40 percent, compared with 18 percent for men. Women account for around...
Sydney Lawyer ‘Struck Off’ for Stealing Client’s Money
Another NSW lawyer has been struck off for engaging in professional misconduct. This time it was Mr Thai Le Huu Nguyen. The Civil and Administrative Tribunal found him guilty on November 18 this year, for conduct it deemed to be...
Not Guilty of Fraud After Overdrawing $2 Million
Luke Brett Moore’s Facebook status simply reads: “NOT GUILTY. (:” Earlier this week, the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal (NSWCCA) overturned the fraud conviction against him and he now hopes to get on with his life. But it was a...
Criminal Lawyer Charged with Defrauding Legal Aid
A Canberra lawyer is on trial in the ACT Supreme Court this week, accused of dishonestly obtaining $30,000 from a client’s mother at the same time as he was receiving funds from the Legal Aid Commission for the same case....
The Rising Cost of Identity Crime in Australia
Identity theft has reportedly overtaken drink driving, drug possession and assault as the most common category of crime in Australia. A Federal Government report suggests that almost one million Australians fall victim to some form of identity crime every year,...
