Teen So Rich He Couldn’t Tell Right from Wrong, Judge Finds
An American teenager who popularised the ‘affluenza defence’ has been arrested for breaching his probation. In 2013, 16-year-old Ethan Couch was sentenced to 10 years’ probation after killing four people in a drink driving incident. During his sentencing hearing, Couch’s...
Thinking of Using Your Phone’s Fingerprint Feature? Think Again!
Ever thought of using the fingerprint scanner of your smartphone? There’s no doubt it’s a handy, time-saving feature. But right now, it’s the subject of some interesting debate in court rooms across the United States, all to do with the...
Plan to Protest? Expect Nerve Damage
Australian Police have been adding Long Range Acoustic Devices (LRADs) to their law enforcement arsenal, a move which has raised concerns amongst health experts, civil rights advocates and those who feel the ability to protest is an important part of...
Legal Aid in Crisis: 45,000 Forced to Represent Themselves in Court
The Law Council of Australia has created a campaign called ‘Legal Aid Matters’, aiming to pressure governments into providing sufficient funding for legal aid services. The Council says: “At least 45,000 Australians have been forced to represent themselves in court,...
NSW Government Rejects Harm Minimisation
Drug reformists are optimistic that Australia is following in the footsteps European countries and moving towards the use of pill testing at music festivals – but the NSW Premier has blatantly refused to sanction the harm minimisation measure in our...
Domestic Violence in Indigenous Communities: It’s Time for Change
The recent episode of Four Corners that exposed the brutal death of Aboriginal woman Lynette Daley, was chilling to watch. For some, it was simply another example of a callous death suffered by a female at the hands of men....
Children to Face a Fortnight of Police Questioning
The Baird government, having just passed laws giving police unchallengeable power over the movement of individuals, are now proposing laws which allow police to detain and question young people for up to a fortnight, without charging them with any offence....
NSW Police Force: A Law Unto Themselves
New powers given to police are looking even worse than initially feared, as concerned groups delve into the breadth of their applicability. The NSW Bar Association points out that new ‘public safety orders’ (PSOs) and ‘serious crime prevention orders’ (SCPOs)...
Australian Government Shuts Journalists’ Mouths
World Press Freedom Day was celebrated on May 3, marking the 250th anniversary of the world’s first freedom of information law, which came into effect in Sweden and Finland. And just last year, Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull stated that the...
Bank Error in Your Favour: Go to Jail or Collect $4.6 Million?
In the game of Monopoly, one of the Community Chest cards says: “Bank Error in Your Favour, Collect $200.” But, unfortunately, life is not always like Monopoly, as Sydney woman Christine Lee found out this week when she was arrested...
