Legalise It, Tax It and Reap the Benefits
The recent United Nations Conference on Drugs (UNGASS) was viewed by many as a missed opportunity to move towards the decriminalisation of drugs, especially cannabis. However, there were indications that a number of countries recognise the social and economic benefits...
Report Finds VLAD Laws to be Unfairly Oppressive
The Queensland government has been advised to dilute the state’s excessively oppressive ‘anti-bikie’ laws, so they resemble the less-restrictive NSW regime. Following an independent report by Justice Alan Wilson, Queensland Premier Anastacia Palaszczuk said she would consider recommendations to repeal...
Australian Federal Police Allegedly Threaten Union Official’s Family
Members of the Australian Federal Police have been accused of “cowboy activity” in their dealings with a major trade union, according to a recent complaint to the Commonwealth Ombudsman. The complaint, made on behalf of the Construction, Forestry, Mining and...
Prison Administrators Fail to Prevent Violence
It is often said that people are sent to prison as punishment, not to be punished. But the rising incidence of injury and illness within prisons across Australia has renewed concerns about how our prisons are being administered. This week,...
Petition Against Gay Panic Defence
The push to remove “Australia’s worst law” from the books is gaining momentum, with over 238,000 people signing a petition to end the ‘gay panic’ defence in Queensland. The defence, which is used to reduce a charge of murder to...
Protecting Your Home from Intruders
A great deal of media attention has surrounded a recent case, where a Newcastle home-occupier was charged with murder after allegedly confronting and killing an intruder. The case has left many wondering about their rights if someone illegally enters their...
Bullying to Become a Crime
Bullying comes in all shapes and sizes: from toxic employees forming chat groups to mock and disparage colleagues, to students forming pacts to ignore or gang up on others, to physical abuse. The question of how we should best deal...
Private Prisons Planned for New South Wales
Private operators will be invited to tender to manage at least one prison in New South Wales, according to Corrections Minister David Elliott (above left) Speaking this morning, Mr Elliott announced the NSW Government’s plan to allow the private sector...
‘Orange is the New Black’ Author Says We Should Rethink Prison
Piper Kerman wrote the acclaimed memoir, Orange is the New Black: My Year in a Women’s Prison. Her altogether hilarious and desperately sad account of the women she met while behind bars was eventually made into the wildly popular Netflix...
School Bullying & The Law
School bullying is a hot topic in Australia right now. The Prime Minister has angered LGBTI communities by announcing a review of the Safe Schools Coalition Australia program – potentially placing the anti-bullying initiative in jeopardy – and the ABC...
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