Defendant Appeals Because Lawyer Refused to Make Complainant Cry
A man has attempted to have his conviction overturned because his criminal defence lawyer did not reduce the victim to tears during cross-examination. Francis Kofi Okrah was sentenced to seven years in prison after being found guilty of sexual assault...
Dead Sydney to Become a Sex Capital?
There is little doubt Sydney’s vibrant night life is dying - but will this make way for the spread of other night activities? Reports of an increase in illegal brothels operating in the Sydney CBD have raised pressure on the...
Outrage Over Gang Rape Article
Senior journalist Paul Sheehan recently penned an apology for his negligent article featured in the Sydney Morning Herald last week, where he had detailed allegations of an horrific and violent gang rape of a Sydney nurse in 2002. Mr Sheehan’s...
Time Limits to be Removed for Sexual Abuse Claims
The NSW Government has moved to scrap the statute of limitations for historical claims of sexual abuse. Under current legislation, complainants have three years to lodge civil claims against alleged abusers, or three years after turning 18 if they were...
Passports to Label Sex Offenders
New legislation in the US has passed through the House of Representatives which would lead to sex offenders being identified by a special mark on their passports. But in order to become law, the bill must first be signed by...
New Zealand’s ‘Three Strikes and You’re Out’ Policy
Since 2010, New Zealand has implemented a ‘three strikes policy’ to crack down on repeat offenders. The laws take power away from the courts when it comes to determining penalties for those convicted of multiple serious offences, and can lead...
Oral Sex May Become Illegal in Michigan
Australia’s infamous “crimes against nature” laws, which oppressed homosexual men by outlawing anal sex, were repealed decades ago. Over the past few years, there have been moves in several parts of country to facilitate the removal of entries from the...
Cardinal Pell Again Avoids Attending Royal Commission
The man at the centre of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has been excused from giving evidence in person - much to the outrage of victims and their families. The 74-year-old Cardinal has been accused...
Court Delays: Endangering the Community?
Several of our previous blogs have highlighted the delays experienced by courts across NSW - a problem that may worsen with Attorney General Gabrielle Upton flagged the closure of several regional courts. The delays mean that some defendants are being...
High Court Rules on Offshore Detention
In a long-awaited landmark judgment, the High Court of Australia ruled this week that the Federal Government’s policy of detaining refugees in offshore detention centres is legal. The case was brought by the Human Rights Law Centre, acting for a...
