Policeman Sacked for Being a Clown: Should Officers be Allowed to Have Second Jobs?
State police as well as members of the Australian Federal Police (AFP) have been moonlighting in all kinds of second jobs - from shelf-stacking in supermarkets, to marriage celebrants, musicians, helicopter pilots, skydiving instructions and horse-riding trainers. Hundreds of AFP...
Inmates Throw Human Waste at Robert Hughes
Robert Hughes, the former Hey Dad! Star, ended up in prison after being convicted of the sexual assault and indecent assault of four young girls. Back in April 2014, he was found guilty by a jury in the Downing Centre...
Should We Allow ‘Pill Testing’ At Music Festivals?
Australia has long advocated a zero-tolerance approach to drug use, imposing heavy penalties with lasting consequences for those who are caught with drugs in their possession. But these disincentives have done little to dissuade the 10.9% of Australians aged 14...
Murderers to Stay in Prison unless they Reveal Location of Body
After serving a “non parole period” in prison, inmates are eligible to apply for release on parole. But for those serving life sentences in South Australian prisons, the process is about to get a whole lot harder, with the government...
The Fascinating History of Policing in NSW
Originally, early colonial police officers in Australia weren’t armed and were paid in alcohol. Ironically, many ended up being sacked for public drunkenness. Here’s a quick look through the fascinating history of policing in NSW. The Peel Police Force The...
Police Power to Pick Who to Prosecute
We recently wrote a blog about NSW Premier Mike Baird, who was caught doing an illegal U-turn and not wearing a seat belt during a double demerits long weekend. The highway patrol officer who pulled Baird over decided to let...
Hunting Rare Animals: Should Tougher Laws be Enacted?
For 12 years, Cecil the lion lived a free and peaceful life, roaming the grounds of Zimbabwe’s Hwange National Park. But on July 1 the beloved lion - considered by many Zimbabweans as a ‘mascot’ and ‘star attraction’ of the...
Rising Prison Numbers: Is Home Detention the Answer?
Over the last few years, Corrective Services personnel have struggled to come up with solutions to deal with the significant jump in prisoner numbers- a problem that is only expected to worsen as time goes on. With cell walls straining,...
Jury Asks Dead Man if Defendant is Guilty of Murder
How would you feel about a dead person being asked to decide your fate if you were on trial for murder? It’s certainly not the most conventional, or recommended, method of deciding guilt or innocence, but this was exactly what...
Police Want Further Dilution of Right to Silence
A little over two years ago, NSW Police were pushing then-Premier Barry O’Farrell to remove the right to silence for those accused of serious criminal offences. Back then, police argued that legal reform was desperately needed to address situations where...
