Homosexuality and the Law: How Far Have We Come?
Same-sex marriage was first legalised in the Netherlands in 2001. Since then, 21 countries have in place legislation allowing for same-sex marriage, with the US joining the list on 26 July 2015. Australia has not yet passed legislation to allow...
Innocent Man Spends 22 Years in Prison Based on False Evidence
Kirk Odom was just 18-years-old when police accused him of a violent sexual assault and robbery of a woman in her own home. Police approached Odom in the street and said he was the man in a police sketch. That...
Restorative Justice – Does It Really Work?
If you had been physically or sexually assaulted, would you ever consider facing the person who assaulted you to tell them how the incident had impacted upon your life? Such a situation might seem confronting, but for some it offers...
Prison Staff Who Commit Crimes
When you hear about crime happening in prisons, you probably tend to think it’s the inmates, right? Well, it’s not just the prisoners. Prison staff can also be involved, as these two recent cases appear to demonstrate. Trade instructor convicted...
Teacher’s Wrongful Conviction Finally Overturned
In the carefree days of 1979, things were a bit different from the way they are now. Teachers could take students on excursions and camps without other adults being present to keep an eye on things. They could be in...
Is Being Aggressive Illegal?
An Australian man flying home from Chile last October had an unexpected layover in New Zealand after he was charged with indecent assault and threatening to kill over allegedly becoming drunk and aggressive towards flight staff. While Qantas has a...
The Julian Assange Saga: Secrets, Suspicions and Supreme Court Decisions
Australian citizen Julian Assange rocketed into the national consciousness in 2010. Assange is the co-founder of WikiLeaks, a website dedicated to publishing secret information and leaks from anonymous sources. That year, WikiLeaks published thousands of secret US military and diplomatic...
Women Imprisoned for Being Too Noisy During Sex
In a case of truth being stranger than fiction, a British woman has been imprisoned for two weeks for being too noisy during sex. That’s right - noisy sex. Following complaints from her sleep-deprived neighbours, the local council took action...
Which State is the Toughest on Crime?
A new Report by the Judicial Commission of NSW shows that sentences imposed in NSW are generally harsher than sentences for similar crimes in Victoria and Queensland. The Report looked at the period 2006 to 2013 and focussed on five...
Sexual Relationships With Prison Inmates
Back in 2000, three girls were sexually assaulted by a notorious gang led by the Skaf brothers. It may sound incredible, but several years later a prison psychologist, 33 year old Joanne Natalie Senior, started a love affair with one...
