Blog Articles

Nelly’s Healing Centre’s Helen Eason

Preventing Aboriginal Child Removals: An Interview With Nelly’s Healing Centre’s Helen Eason

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The 2019 Productivity Commission report outlines that in June 2018 there were 6,766 First Nations children in out-of-home care in NSW. This means Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander kids made up 39 percent of youths in state care, while only accounting for 5 percent of the population under 18. Referred to as the continuing stolen …
Peter Dutton

“The Weakest Link”: Australia Providing Assistance and Access to the Five Eyes

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At a ministerial meeting of the Five Eyes alliance held in the Canadian capital of Ottawa on 26 June 2017, those gathered discussed the hindrance that encryption is when they’re trying to access private data. A joint communique released following the meeting noted that encryption was “impeding lawful access to the content of communications during …
Nimbin

Police Power More Present than Ever at Nimbin Mardi Grass Festival

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The New Wales Police Force has been at the frontline of the state Government’s crackdown on music festivals this year, with substantial funds being allocated to ensure the events are heavily policed. The Nimbin Mardi Grass was no exception. The small town on the far northern coast of the state hosts the festival every year. …
Lawyer David McBride

In the Public Interest: An Interview With Former Military Lawyer David McBride

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Former military lawyer David McBride appeared in the ACT Supreme Court on 13 June on charges relating to classified military files that he handed over to an ABC journalist in 2016. The leaked documents formed the basis of the 2017 report The Afghan Files. Mr McBride had previously pled not guilty to five charges, which …

Julian Assange, the AFP Raids, and the Crime of Dissent

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If News Corp journalist Annika Smethurst was watching the ABC’s Insiders program on Sunday morning, she might have been surprised to see Peter Dutton discussing the domestic spying proposal that AFP officers raided her home in relation to just thirteen days earlier. Not only did the home affairs minister deny there is a proposal to …

Stockpiled Firearms are a Magnet for Thieves

By ▪︎ & ▪︎

Following a mass shooting in Darwin’s CBD earlier this month, a University of Sydney expert on gun violence has criticised police over their inaction when it comes to tracking shotguns, rifles and handguns in Australia. Darwin shooting It has been alleged that 45-year old Darwin resident Ben Hoffman shot and killed four people on 4 …
Police assault on Australia day

NSW District Court Judge Slams Brutal Police

By ▪︎ & ▪︎

Judge Roy Ellis of the New South Wales District Court has made clear there was no excuse for police officers to violently drag 28-year old Indigenous man Carl Hoppner from a police vehicle at Toronto Police Station on Australia Day last year before repeatedly punching and kicking him while he lay handcuffed and huddled on …

Drivers Face Fines for ‘Normal’ Passenger Behaviour

By ▪︎ & ▪︎

It’s a law you may not know about, but certainly one worth brushing up on. You’re on a long drive and your front seat passenger is relaxing watching a YouTube clip or a movie on a tablet or smart phone. Seems harmless enough, right? Actually, as a driver, you can be given three demerit points …
Sydney Criminal Lawyers®

Sydney Criminal Lawyers® Weekly Rundown – Articles from 10 to 16 June 2019

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In case you’ve missed any of them, here’s a rundown of the past week’s articles: Towards Torres Strait Autonomy: An Interview With GBK’s Ned David There are calls for locals to have greater autonomy over their lands. Click here to read the article Domestic Violence Murders Double in New South Wales Domestic violence-related murders have …

Cannabis Legalisation Is Creeping Closer for Canberra

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The ACT Legislative Assembly health committee last week tabled its report on the legislation that would see the personal possession and use of cannabis legalised in the capital territory. And with a great sigh of relief, the review recommended the bill be supported subject to some amendments. The Personal Cannabis Use Bill was introduced into …