The Mysterious Execution of a Beloved Sydney Orchid Grower
Darren Galea was kidnapped by two men. His wrists were bound and he was taken to Duck River Reserve on Mona Street in Auburn. He was walked out into the bushland park and lost a thong along the way. He...
Harm Minimisation and the Failed War on Drugs: An Interview with NUAA’s Yvonne Samuel
The Global Commission on Drug Policy released a report on June 2, 2011, that declared “the global war on drugs has failed.” The organisation called on governments to experiment with “models of legal regulation of drugs” to curb organised crime and...
World Leaders Remove Women’s Rights
Social media went into overdrive this week when a photo of newly-appointed US President Donald Trump signed anti-abortion legislation at his desk, surrounded by a group of male staff. Many believe the stroke of Trump’s pen will result in higher...
RIP Presumption of Innocence: Juries May Be Informed of Past Convictions
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse released model legislation on November 25 last year to amend the Evidence Act. The draft bill aims to allow for the broader admissibility of tendency and coincidence evidence. The proposed amendments would mean...
Stop Criminalising Homelessness: An Interview with Homeless Persons Union’s Patrick “Spike” Chiappalone
A crisis meeting was called at Melbourne Town Hall on Monday night to discuss the city’s homelessness situation, amid calls to create a new bylaw to ban sleeping rough on the city streets. Victoria police and the tabloid media have been pushing...
Government to Deport Alleged Apex Gang Members
According to Victoria police, a good way to deal with the state’s crime problem is to deport young adult gang members. A parliamentary body is also considering whether those under the age of 18 can also be turfed out of...
Removing Condom During Sex is Rape
One man’s life will never be the same after being convicted of rape for secretly removing a condom during sex with a woman he had met online. The 47-year old French man and his companion, a Swiss woman, met on...
Bail Laws to be Toughened in Wake of Bourke Street Tragedy
As Australia mourns the victims of a senseless tragedy, the Victorian government has vowed to make the state ‘safer’. In the wake of last Friday’s Bourke Street tragedy which killed five people including a three-month-old baby boy and a 10-year-old...
Lawyer Hypnotised Clients for Sexual Gratification
A lawyer in the US has been sentenced to 12 years in prison and permanently disbarred from practising law after using hypnosis on his clients to sexually gratify himself. Attorney Michael Fine was caught in a police sting initiated by...
A Career of Firsts: An Interview with Former NSW Magistrate Pat O’Shane
Former NSW magistrate Pat O’Shane has had a pioneering career, marked by a series of firsts. The Kunjandji woman, who grew up in North Queensland, became the first female Aboriginal teacher in the state. After teaching at Cairns High School for...
