How Does A Section 14 Mental Health Order Work?
Section 14 of the Mental Health and Cognitive Impairment Forensic Provisions Act 2020 is commonly used to divert those who suffer from mental conditions away from criminal penalisation and towards getting help and treatment they need. A section 14 can...
Can I Get a Section 10 Dismissal or Conditional Release Order for Drink Driving?
If you have been charged with a drink driving offence, the consequences you face can be serious. You can be fined, and can even face a jail term depending on the severity of the offence. You will also face a...
What is an Annulment Application?
When you are given a court attendance notice or are arrested by the police, you are required to physically attend court on the nominated day unless you have a very good reason not to be there. If you are dealing...
Can I Avoid a Conviction if I Plead Guilty to a Serious Drug Charge? R v Mauger
We all make bad decisions from time to time, but when it comes to breaking the law, poor judgment could land you in front of a District Court Judge facing potential time behind bars. The defendant in R v Mauger knows this...
Appealing a Drink Driving Sentence
It is a criminal offence to drive while under the influence of alcohol. If you have been charged with drink driving, you face a number of different penalties depending on the level of alcohol alleged to have been in your system at...
Why Choose a Specialist Appeal Lawyer?
If you have been convicted of a crime that you didn’t commit or you have been given an overly harsh sentence, you have the right to appeal to a higher court. Generally, you only get one chance to make an...
Should Minors Charged with Serious Offences be Released on Bail?
The issue of minors committing criminal offences has been in the spotlight after the recent incident where a 16-year-old was charged with sexual assault after the alleged gang rape of a 14-year-old girl in Sydney’s west. Sexual offences perpetrated by...
Will Schapelle Corby Be Allowed to Make Money from Interviews?
There has been a large amount of media attention surrounding the issue of whether convicted Australian drug smuggler Schapelle Corby will be allowed to profit from any interviews she gives after her recent release from Bali’s Kerobokan Prison. Corby was...
Is it Better to Have a Jury Trial or a Judge-Alone Trial?
If you are facing a criminal matter in the district or supreme court, you will most often be tried in front of a jury. A jury is made up of a panel of 12 people who are randomly selected members...
Speeding and Section 10 Dismissals and Conditional Release Orders – How You May be Able to Avoid a Conviction
Pleading guilty to a speeding offence doesn’t always mean you will accrue demerit points or be suspended from driving. You may be able to successfully obtain a non conviction order, which is a finding of guilt with no criminal conviction....
