Is an Unbiased Jury Ever Truly Possible?
In Australia, jury trials are one of the mainstays of the criminal justice system. In a jury trial, a defendant’s guilt or innocence is decided by a panel of 12 members of the public who are expected to be impartial,...
Developments in the case of Freya Newman: A Need for Better Whistleblower Protections?
Earlier this year, 21 year old Freya Newman, an employee at the Whitehouse Institute of Design, was charged with accessing restricted data after she exposed the Institute’s grant of an allegedly secret $60,000 scholarship to the Prime Minister’s daughter, Tony...
Validity of Anti-Biker Laws Upheld by the High Court
The High Court recently dismissed a challenge to the Vicious Lawless Association Disestablishment Act, upholding its validity. The decision is the latest in a long running saga between the United Motorcycle Council and State governments. Governments have passed various pieces...
Lawyers and Depression: A Greater Risk?
A career in the law can be challenging and rewarding, and thousands of law graduates join the profession each year in the hope of enjoying a long working life as a lawyer. As well as the joys of working as...
Recent Centrelink Fraud Cases
Fraudulently obtaining payments through Centrelink is a Commonwealth offence and can come with serious penalties. Like most other Commonwealth offences, all Centrelink fraud cases in Australia are prosecuted by the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions (CDPP). Centrelink fraud can cover...
Should Prisoners be Allowed to Vote?
Should being in prison prevent people from exercising their right to vote? Being locked up as a punishment restricts the liberty of an individual, and it also isolates that person from the community. By extension, this has historically excluded any...
Police Make Breakthroughs in Unsolved Cases
While many of us might think of television police dramas when we hear the words cold case, there are many unsolved cases in police jurisdictions across Australia, just waiting for breakthroughs. When it comes to unsolved cases, things like developments...
Is it Illegal to Smack your Child?
Supernanny Jo Frost may condemn it, but according to one survey done last year, 69% of Australian parents smack their children. Regardless of ‘best parenting’ techniques which may advocate against smacking, is it actually illegal to smack your child in...
Registered Sex Offender Caught By Virtual “Child”
Last month, a Brisbane man was convicted of a number of sexual offences after he was duped into performing a sex act in front of a computer-generated avatar of a 10-year-old girl. The fake child, known as Sweetie, was created...
How Prevalent is Police Misuse of Tasers in NSW?
The use of Tasers by police officers in NSW has been under scrutiny over recent years after a number of high profile cases where the weapons have been misused against members of the public. In 2012, the NSW Ombudsman published...
