The Offence of Unlawfully Possessing a Prescribed Restricted Substance in NSW
Whilst most people know that there are criminal laws against possessing recreational drugs like MDMA, heroin and cannabis in New South Wales, it is perhaps less commonly known that possessing some pharmaceutical medicines without a valid prescription can also amount...
Australian Prisons are Failing to Serve the Interests of Society
Unlike correctional centres in Scandinavian countries such as Norway and Denmark, Australian prisons have never been known for successfully rehabilitating inmates. While a commitment to rehabilitation is written into the mission statements of all Australian prisons, the reality is many...
Dozens of Festival Deaths “Potentially Preventable” With Pill Testing, Study Finds
A just released research paper inquiring into the circumstances of drug-related deaths at music festivals in this country, has found that 64 such fatalities transpired at events across Australia over the period from July 2000 until the end of 2019. Produced...
In What Circumstances Can Police Obtain a Search Warrant in NSW?
There are strict rules that regulate the circumstances in which police are legally permitted to enter and search a person’s property without the owner or occupier’s informed consent. In most cases, police will need to obtain an order from a...
In What Circumstances Can an Arrest Warrant Be Issued in NSW?
An arrest warrant empowers law enforcement officers to apprehend and take a person into custody without the officers having to separately establish the person is doing or has done something that is against the law. There are many circumstances in...
Religious Freedoms Revisited: Attorney-General to Spruik Discrimination Laws for Those of Faith
As the next round of federal parliament kicks off in weeks, it’s expected that attorney general Mark Dreyfus is set to reignite the debate around religious discrimination laws, and the prejudicial measures that serve to discriminate against LGBTIQ persons in relation...
“Open Justice Is Essential But Not Absolute”: The Decision to Withold Collaery’s Secrets
The crux of the issue regarding court transcripts relating to barrister Bernard Collaery’s 2021 attempt to remove secrecy provisions covering “six identified matters” in his since-dropped prosecution has been set out by ACT Chief Justice Lucy McCallum in her 9 January...
Sydney Criminal Lawyers® Weekly Rundown – Articles from 15 to 21 January 2024
In case you’ve missed any of them, here’s a rundown of the past week’s articles: Pro-Palestinians Praise South Africa as Sydney Rallies for the 14th Week: In Photos Sydneysiders continued to rally against the genocide in Gaza and in support...
Elon Musk Tries To Have NSW Man Arrested For Exposing Tesla Safety Issues
An Australian Federal Court judge has rejected a request by the head of American automative company Tesla, Elon Musk, to have an arrest warrant issued against a man accused of uploading leaked documents by a whistleblower. Elon Musk is an...
Is Pirating a Movie or Television Show a Criminal Offence?
It was reported last year that one in four Australians engage in some form of ‘digital piracy’, gaining access to films or television shows that are either not yet available in the country, or are only accessible via paid subscription...