Budget Boost Will Not Reduce Court Backlogs
The Federal Government delivered a mixed-bag of good and bad news for the Australian court system last week. It announced an $80m boost to court resources, but many believe the amount is not enough to sufficiently ease the burden the...
The youth mental health crisis in Australia
Recent figures suggest a dramatic increase in the number of young people and children presenting at hospital Emergency Departments for self-harm, stress and anxiety, mood, behavioural and emotional disorders. In New South Wales, Emergency Departments saw a 27 per cent...
Dutton Considers Increasing Government’s Surveillance Powers
A proposal was recently floated by two government department officials to enhance the powers of Australia’s cyber spying agency, to enable it to digitally surveil Australian citizens from right here without a warrant. The proposal, if adopted, would add to the...
Church of Ubuntu Secretary Challenges Suppression Charges
This Saturday marks a year since a boy who suffers from spastic quadriplegic cerebral palsy was taken from the care of his parents. On May 19 last year, NSW police and Family and Community Services (FACS) removed the boy from...
Give Distance to Cyclists or Face the Consequences
The Minimum Passing Distance rule has been retained as a permanent road rule in New South Wales, after a trial of the rule was hailed a success. The rule requires motorists to leave a minimum one-metre gap when passing cyclists...
NSW Government Says its Hidden Cameras Reveal Shocking Driver Conduct
Last month, the New South Wales government announced it would be trialling high-tech cameras capable of detecting illegal mobile phone use from as far away as a kilometre, and issuing fines without drivers being aware. The crackdown came after two...
Testicles May Have Caused Symptoms After Crash, Not Drugs
A NSW judge who sentenced a man to a minimum of more than two years prison for causing a fatal car crash, says she could not be certain that illegal drugs caused his erratic driving, despite a blood test establishing...
The Rights of People Who Use Drugs: An Interview With INPUD’s Judy Chang
The war on drugs has failed. This is a reality that’s increasingly being acknowledged around the globe, as communities start to realise that the outcomes produced by this intensification of drug law enforcement have been overwhelmingly destructive. The close to...
How Much Do Jurors Get Paid in NSW?
Jury service is an important civic duty for all people on the electoral role, but it can cause a great deal of stress and financial loss, especially for those who are employed or running a business. The rules which regulate...
What Happens if I Don’t Attend Jury Service in NSW?
Jury service is an important civil duty which is regulated in New South Wales by the Jury Act 1977 (NSW) (the Act). Section 63 of the Act prescribed a maximum penalty of 20 penalty units, which is currently equivalent to...
