Court Order No Longer Required for Hormone Treatment
Before 30th November 2017, Australian residents under the age of 18 were required to seek court approval before being eligible for hormone treatment to change their gender. According to Dr Michelle Telfer of Melbourne’s Royal Children’s Hospital, Australia was the...
Country-Based Drug Treatment: An Interview with Professor David Penington
In late October, Victorian premier Daniel Andrews approved a two-year trial of a safe injecting centre for North Richmond. The inner city Melbourne suburb has long been the site of an open street drug market, and 34 overdose deaths have already occurred...
Suspected Murderer Evades Fresh Prosecution
He admitted burying his boyfriend’s body. He directed police to its whereabouts. He lied repeatedly under oath. But because of double-jeopardy laws and deal struck with police, murder suspect Michael Atkins will never go to prison for his actions. The...
Scott Johnson’s Death Finally Determined a Gay Hate Crime
The third coronial inquiry into the death of Scott Johnson reported last Thursday that the 27-year-old US mathematician died as a result of a gay hate crime in December 1988. The conclusion has put to rest years of speculation that the earlier finding...
Sydney Criminal Lawyers® Participate in Strong Women Challenge
ActionAid is a women’s rights organisation with far-reaching impact. The organisation was established in the UK in 1972, and its Australian arm has been operating for more than 40 years. ActionAid fights for women’s rights across a number of fronts,...
How Do I Find the Right Lawyer in NSW?
There comes a time when most of us will need a lawyer, whether to buy or sell property, recover a debt, or something that can be even more stressful such as a family or criminal law issue. So it’s good...
Clan-Based Treaties: An Interview with MP Lidia Thorpe
The Victorian electorate of Northcote had been a Labor stronghold for 90 years. But the November 18 by-election in the inner city district revealed that the local constituents in Melbourne’s north were looking for a more progressive representative. And the...
Fraud Charges Dropped Against Woman Who Overdrew $4.6 Million
Fraud charges against a former Sydney University student who spent $4.6 million dollars after a Westpac banking error have been dropped. Christine Lee was charged with ‘dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception’ and ‘knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime’...
Government Seeks to Protect Religious Freedom. Or Does it?
Throughout the same-sex marriage debate, there’s been a great deal of talk about religious freedoms. To many, this seems highly ironic, as the point of the conversation was whether members of the community could have the same rights as others,...
Apprehended Domestic Violence Orders (ADVOs) Are Now Enforceable Nationwide
As of 25 November 2017, ‘Persons in Need of Protection’ (PINOPs) – or complainants – who are the subject of domestic violence orders (DVOs) in any Australian state or territory are automatically protected nationwide. The National Domestic Violence Order Scheme...
