White Supremacist Stabs Man in Sydney, But Terrorism Police Stumped as to His Ideology
White supremacist Brenton Tarrant, an Anglo Australian man from the NSW town of Grafton, walks into two mosques in Christchurch in March 2019 and guns down 51 Muslim worshippers. The killer produced a far-right manifesto. He had links to Australian...
The Offence of Intent to Murder in New South Wales
A shooting at the offices of a Sydney law firm has led to the arrest of a 79-year old man, who has been charged with intent to murder. The man opened fire at the offices of Van Cooney Lawyers on...
The Criminal Offence of Vehicular Manslaughter Across Australia
Driving on our roads carries a number of risks and responsibilities, and failing to comply with the road rules can land a driver on the wrong side of the law – potentially amounting to a traffic offence. And while a...
The Criminal Offence of Murder Across Australia
The crime of murder is generally considered the most serious offence in criminal law. But what exactly is the offence of murder? What are the ‘elements’ (or ingredients) that the prosecution must prove beyond beyond reasonable doubt before the offence...
Assaults, Extortion and Murder are Common Across Australian Prisons
Two men have been charged with the offences of murder and extortion over the death of Benn Schinkel at Queensland’s Capricornia Correctional Centre in Rockhampton last year. The three men were inmates at the time Benn Schrinkel was found unresponsive,...
NSW Police Officer Faces Manslaughter Charges for Fatally Tasering Great Grandmother
Many have welcomed the upgrading of charges against the New South Wales police officer the man whose tasering of a great grandmother at a nursing home resulted in her death. An internal police investigation initially led to 33-year old senior...
Saw X: What Criminal Offences Could Jigsaw Be Charged With?
Horror fans have been treated with a new entry in the Saw franchise with Saw X hitting cinemas earlier this month. The series follows the twisted efforts of civil engineer John Kramer, also known as Jigsaw, as he “tests” unlucky...
Can Obtaining Another’s Consent Be Used as a Murder Defence?
Just a few weeks short of Halloween in 1996, 35-year-old Sharon Lopatka left her home in Maryland USA, leaving her husband a note which simply read: If my body is never retrieved, don’t worry: know that I’m at peace Lopatka...
Airbags That Kill: Can Manufacturers Be Found Guilty of a Criminal Offence?
This article refers to a recent Australian announcement of yet another fatal airbag concern, and although the investigation is in its early stages, we shall explore the company involved and revisit the previous situation with the Japanese company Takata corporation,...
Contract Killings: Arranging Murders for Vengeance, or Political, Social or Financial Gain
This article will discuss the evolution and use of a specific category of the offence of murder known as contract killings, also known as arranged or paid assassinations. We will take you through several examples of these offences throughout history, their...
