NSW Police Searches Target the Vulnerable, Report Confirms
The NSW Police Force has a predilection for searching members of the public, so much so that a recently released report has found that officers are annually conducting more than 150,000 personal searches: those that involve a body, or pat...
Political Prosecutions: Abusing the Justice Process for Political Advantage
The former first minister of Scotland’s devolved parliament was served papers which read, ‘Her Majesty’s advocate v Alexander Elliot Salmond’. It was a prosecution on 14 sexual offences alleged to have occurred whilst Mr Salmond, the former leader of the...
Corruption Pervades Police Forces in Australia and the United Kingdom: Part 1
It has been said that ‘absolute power corrupts absolutely’, and perhaps the organisations which best establish the truth of this maxim are police forces and services, wherever they may be. This article seeks to set out how the corrupt activities...
A History of the New South Wales Crime Commission
The New South Wales Crime Commission Act 1985 enabled the establishment in the following year of a law enforcement agency with extraordinary investigative powers and little oversight. The Act was superseded by the Crime Commission Act of 2012, whose stated...
What Are the Rules and Penalties for Driving in a Bus Lane in NSW?
Driving in the bus lane can be tempting, especially for drivers and indeed riders who are in a hurry and want to avoid traffic. But what are the rules when it comes to travelling in a bus lane in New...
When Can Police and other Law Enforcement Agencies Access Your Private Data?
Private browsing mode, also known as incognito mode, is a way to surf the web without your activity being recorded in your browsing history. However, private browsing isn’t as “private” as you may think it is. Here’s why. How does...
Social Media Influencers Under Investigation for Fraud
Australia’s securities regulator, the Australian Securities and Investment Commission, or ASIC, is investigating more than 100 ‘influential’ social media accounts over reports of misleading and false advertising that has cost those who buy in millions, and could amount to the...
Interpreting Blood Stain Patterns: Science or Speculation?
In the TV-show Dexter, the titular character leads a double life as both a forensic scientist and a serial killer. Dexter’s unique forensic speciality is bloodstain pattern analysis, which is an attempt to help in the reconstruction of violent crimes...
Woolworths Under Fire for Introducing Customer Surveillance Cameras
Supermarket giant Woolworths has come under fire for introducing technology to surveil self-service checkouts, filming shoppers as they scan and pay for items. More than 100 stores across three states have been trialing the software over the past year, and...
What Is Voluntary Manslaughter?
In 2010, a street-based sex worker named Patricia Mary Butler was solicited by a client named Brendan Potter on the corner of Bourke and William street. After performing sexual acts on Mr Potter in Rushcutters Bay Park, both parties went...
