When Can Illegally Obtained Evidence Be Excluded?
Evidence that is being used in a criminal case needs to comply with a range of rules, and there are certainly limits on what can and can’t be used as evidence in a courtroom. The admissibility of evidence in NSW...
Do I have to turn up to court if I’m pleading guilty?
Several people have recently informed our firm that they took the advice of police and filled out the back of their little yellow ‘court attendance notice’ (CAN), indicated a plea of guilty, then sent it to court only to later...
Bribing the Human Rights Commissioner – Did the Government Act Illegally?
It appears that Human Rights Commissioner Gillian Triggs is fighting yet another battle with the Federal Government. In January, Professor Triggs came under fire after she recommended that an Indonesian man who served his prison time after being convicted of...
Drug Scandal Rocks Football World – Players Stood Down
If you’re a Gold Coast NRL fan, you may have been disappointed to hear that five Titans players were recently stood down from the club following allegations that they were involved in the supply and possession of cocaine. Players Greg...
Should both parents be charged if a baby is shaken to death?
Parents who shake or otherwise fatally injure their children could be convicted even when it isn’t clear which parent is responsible under suggested changes to the law prompted by the violent and tragic death of a baby boy in NSW....
Do You Trust The Criminal Justice System?
NSW residents are more confident that the criminal justice system brings those who are guilty to justice than they have been in years, according to a recent report released by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR). The...
Are Drug Driving Laws Fair?
NSW drivers are now facing an even greater chance of being drug tested, after police have linked crashes to drug use. And newer machines used to detect drugs in saliva samples are even more sensitive to drugs than older technology,...
What Powers Do NSW Police Special Constables Have?
Special constables have been part of the NSW Police Force since the 1700s, taking part in night watch patrols in Sydney from 1789. Over the years, the scope and range of policing duties expanded, and special constables became less widely...
How Should We Deal With the Rising Prison Population?
A report released last week shows that the NSW prison population is at a record high, with many prisons significantly overcrowded. And it seems that the problem will only worsen as the impact of the new amendments to the Bail...
Should Greyhound Racing be Banned?
Earlier this week, ABC’s Four Corners exposed the grisly reality of greyhound racing - a sport which attracts $1 billion in bets annually and helps fill the government’s coffers. Shockingly, live animals are being used as bait in a number...
