Should both parents be charged if a baby is shaken to death?
Parents who shake or otherwise fatally injure their children could be convicted even when it isn’t clear which parent is responsible under suggested changes to the law prompted by the violent and tragic death of a baby boy in NSW....
Is Torture Ever Justifiable?
Jakob von Metzler, an eleven-year-old German boy, vanished one afternoon on his way home from school. He was supposed to leave with his family for a holiday the next day, but he had been kidnapped by a man who later...
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...
Should Australia Extradite People Facing the Death Penalty?
The death penalty is condemned by many countries, including Australia, where the last execution took place in 1967. But what happens when a treaty signed by Australia means that we could receive requests for the extradition of people who may...
Two Lawyers knew Convicted Murderer was Innocent: Why didn’t they Speak Out?
Imagine this: the fate of an innocent person is in your hands - but your professional obligations prevent you from speaking out. One survey of Australian criminal lawyers found that 75% have regularly lain awake worrying about ethical issues connected...
Tim Ellis Sacked From Role as Tasmania’s Director of Public Prosecutions
The past year has seen a number of prominent Australians step down from public leadership positions. In April last year, then NSW Premier Barry O’Farrell stood down from his role after allegations of unethical conduct surfaced during an ICAC investigation....
Human Rights Commission President Recommends Releasing Convicted Killer into the Community
Gillian Triggs is the former Dean of the University of Sydney Law School and current president of the Australian Human Rights Commission. Triggs has created outrage by recommending that John Basikbasik, a refugee from Indonesia who was convicted of manslaughter,...
What Should Happen to Kids who Commit Violent Crimes?
Have you ever wondered what happens to children who committed violent crimes? One horrific case, the murder of James Bulger in the UK, shocked the world in 1993. The two-year-old toddler, James Bugler, was kidnapped from a shopping mall, tortured...
The Dilution of the Doctrine of Double Jeopardy and the Gordon Wood Case
In June 1995, the body of Sydney model Caroline Byrne was found at The Gap, Watson’s Bay. It took thirteen years for Gordon Wood, her then boyfriend, to stand trial for her murder. He was adamant that she committed suicide,...
With so much Media Attention on Violent Crime: Are Crime Rates in NSW Rising or Falling
Recent figures from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) show that most of the main offence types have remained steady or decreased in number throughout the state over the previous three months. There have been a number...
