New Rules for Supreme Court Bail Applications
The rules applying to bail have been in a constant state of flux since 2013, when new bail laws were introduced to replace the old Bail Act of 1978. While the old Act was complex, confusing and in some respects...
Would You Rather Be Suspected of a Crime in the US or Australia?
American ‘true crime’ shows often tell stories of defendants getting-off serious criminal charges due to problems with the evidence, or legal ‘loopholes’, or last-minute ‘breakthroughs’ by cunning criminal defence lawyers. Most people are aware that these TV shows aren’t an accurate...
Life Sentences Without Parole: A Violation of Human Rights?
In his research paper from this month’s Human Rights Law Review, Andrew Dyer, a Lecturer in the Faculty of Law at the University of Sydney, argues that not having a statutory charter of rights means Australia has been left without...
Don’t Visit a Prison Before Reading This
Thinking of smuggling contraband into prison? Think again. NSW Corrective Services has announced that a body scanner, known as the Body Orifice Security Scanner (or ‘BOSS’ for short) will be installed at Goulburn Supermax Prison later this year to prevent...
Man Released Due to Lack of Prison Resources
In the latest example of the effects of prison overcrowding, a District Court judge has been forced to release an alleged drug supplier on bail due to a lack of resources in prisons and remand centres. The unnamed man appeared...
Mental Health and Criminal Law: The Benefits of Psych Reports
Have you been charged with a criminal offence while you were struggling with a mental health problem? Sometimes, you can raise a mental illness defence and be found ‘not guilty’ on that basis. In other situations, a ‘mental condition’ can...
Keeping Legal Costs Down
Are you going to court but don’t want to spend a fortune? Lawyers don’t come cheap, but they can make all the difference to the outcome of your case. Anecdotes about greedy lawyers abound, but there are many ethical lawyers...
Bail Laws to Get Tougher for Suspected Terrorists
Regular readers of our blog will know that the NSW government has been changing the law on bail more frequently than most of us can keep up with. And now, the Baird government has announced that more changes are on...
Deporting Non-Citizens Who Commit Crimes
For many visitors to Australia who are accused of committing crimes, navigating our legal system is an arduous task. One of the most frequently asked questions by those on work and travel visas who are going through the courts is: how will...
What are the Effects of Getting a Section 10 Dismissal or Conditional Release Order?
Many people who find themselves on the wrong end of a criminal charge hope to secure a “section 10 dismissal or conditional release order” also known as a plea of guilty to avoid a criminal conviction. The actual benefits of...
