Diversity of Australian Magistrates and Judges
Anyone who regularly practices in our courts will tell you that the ethnic and gender composition of lawyers in NSW is diverse. But when it comes to magistrates and judges, the situation is very different - most of whom are still...
Customs Officer Sent to Prison for Drug Charges
We have previously written about corruption and collusion of Australian Customs Officers, now known as Border Force Officers. One such case has recently been finalised in the NSW District Court, with a jury finding former Customs Officer Phillip Cranney guilty...
The Problem of Imbalanced Juries, Part 1
The right to trial by jury is a fundamental part of our criminal justice system, and one of the few rights guaranteed by our constitution. The reasoning is that the guilt or innocence of an accused person is supposed to be...
Wrongly Imprisoned Man Released After 16 Years
30-year-old Los Angeles man Luis Lorenzo Vargas was convicted of sexually assaulting three women in 1999 after being loosely identified by the complainants - who said that the perpetrator had either one or two small tattoos of a teardrop running...
Muslim Australians Increasingly Victimised
Australia is meant to be a multicultural, accepting and inclusive country, but recent events suggest that a minority of Australians are anything but welcoming of other cultures. In the wake of a series of terrorist attacks perpetrated by violent extremists,...
Justice for Biggie: Police Shoot Another Non-Threatening Dog
Losing a beloved family pet is a heartbreaking experience - but the loss is all the more traumatic when your companion is mercilessly shot dead, despite posing no threat of harm. We recently wrote a blog about 11-month-old puppie ‘Hulk’,...
Should the Names of Defendants be Published Before Guilt is Decided?
Being publicly named and shamed can be one of the worst things about being accused of a crime. Even if your innocence becomes clear and the charges are dropped, the damage may already have been done – and your career...
Police Arrest and Handcuff 11-year-old Girl at School
For most kids, school is a place to learn, meet new friends and even have some fun. But for one 11-year-old girl, a normal school day quickly turned into a traumatic and humiliating ordeal when she was arrested and handcuffed...
Couple Awarded Compensation After Illegal Raid
In yet another example of taxpayers paying for police misconduct, the State of Queensland has been ordered to pay couple David Bulsey and Yvette Lenov $230,000 in damages plus interest and legal costs after police illegally raided their home, assaulted, illegally...
Getting a Foot in the Criminal Law Door
As final semester draws to a close, many law students will embark upon clerkships with large corporate law firms. But for those interested in a career in criminal defence, it can be difficult to know where to start - as...
