The Link Between Alcohol and Crime in Australia
As a result of rising concerns about crime in Alice Springs, the Northern Territory government has reinstated bans on the supply of alcohol. The measures, which re-implement aspects of the highly criticised Northern Territory National Emergency Response (also known as “the...
Fatal Police Shootings Are at An All Time High in Australia
A man was shot dead by New South Wales Police this week. According to Assistant Police Commissioner Stuart Smith, officers confronted the man who was wielding a knife at Auburn train station, and had just “seconds” to react after he...
“Censorship by Omission”: Megan Krakouer on the Suppression of Black Opposition to the Voice
For anyone who’s been paying attention, it comes as no surprise that there’s a strong First Nations resistance to the Indigenous Voice to parliament that began as the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which contains the proposal, was being unveiled at...
How Do I Check if a Warrant is Out for My Arrest?
There are many myths about arrest warrants, including when they can be issued and what you should do if you have been issued with one. So here’s some information that may assist if you suspect police could be knocking on...
What is the Mental Element of Murder in New South Wales?
Colombian student Hector Enrique Valencia was initially charged with murder over the killing of Kimberley McRae in her Coogee apartment in January 2020, as well as the alternative charge of manslaughter. The 23-year old pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the...
Are ‘Recovered’ Memories of Childhood Abuse Reliable?
In the 1970s, a Canadian woman named Michelle Smith sought psychiatric treatment for depression following a miscarriage. Her psychiatrist, Lawrence Pazder, felt that her symptoms indicated early experiences of child sexual abuse, and he then used hypnosis to help “recover”...
Is it a Crime to Produce, Possess or Distribute AI Generated Child Pornography?
AI image generators, which use cutting edge algorithms to create unique, photo-realistic images are quickly becoming popular within creative industries. But as with all new technologies, they can also be used for nefarious purposes. Arrest for producing child pornography via...
A History of the Codification of Law and the Separation of Powers
Laws and legal systems are meant to be the framework by which moral standards and social order are maintained, with the utilitarian objective of benefiting a social group as a whole; whether that be a tribe, community, a nation-state and...
A History of Crime: Investigations, Trials and Punishments
Criminal law is concerned with acts committed against society as a whole, and criminal offences, also known as crimes, are prosecuted by agents of the state such as police, public prosecutorial services and other governmental regulatory bodies, such as the...
Nauru Hunger Strikers Medevaced to Australia, After a Decade Detained Offshore
Two offshore detainees in Nauru were lying on a blanket outdoors last Friday, after having spent four days without eating or even taking water. These men were hunger striking in protest against our government having held them on the island...
