The Law Firm Without Lawyers
There’s a new law firm in Darwin calling itself the first in Australia with no lawyers. The firm has an office, but you make appointments with a computer and, when you attend, you sit at a screen and answer a...
Criminalising Sex Workers Leaves Them Vulnerable to Attack
At around 12.30 am on June 24, a security guard opened the door to an apartment in Enfield, north London, and a group of five men wielding knives entered the premises. Ms Maria Benito (not her real name) was taken...
Murder by Proxy: The Death of Charles Manson
Charles Manson, one of the most notorious murderers in modern history, passed away of natural causes last Sunday, after spending close to half a century behind bars. But what many don’t realise is that he was never convicted of killing...
Exposing Agricultural Brutality: An Interview with Chris Delforce
A bill largely aimed at curbing stock theft and illegal hunting in rural NSW passed through state parliament on November 15. NSW Greens MLC David Shoebridge unsuccessfully pushed for an amendment to the bill, due to a provision he described...
Royal Commission Rejects Punitive Approach to Juvenile Justice
The final report of the Royal Commission into the Protection and Detention of Children in the Northern Territory was tabled in parliament on 17th November 2017. It represents an unequivocal rejection of the Territory’s ‘tough on crime’ approach to juvenile...
NSW Police Strip-Search Female Protesters
Two women protesting the treatment of asylum seekers on Manus Island have reported being arrested, conveyed to the police station and strip-searched before being released without charge. Susan Price and Rachel Evans were amongst around 200 people protesting Australia’s offshore...
AirBnb Hosts Can be Fined in NSW
The home sharing phenomenon has taken off worldwide in recent years, and AirBnb is a market-leading website platform facilitating the cost-effective arrangement. Many who are struggling to make mortgage repayments or pay the rent are finding the platform to be...
NSW District Court Judge Mistakenly Considers Standard Non-Parole Period
In the early afternoon of 20 June 2013, Jason Potts walked down an alley beside a house situated on Chancery Street, Canley Vale in Sydney. The 40-year-old was accompanied by his 18-year-old son. The pair, who were both wearing gloves, jumped...
Same-Sex Marriage: What Happens Next?
Unless you’ve been trapped on a deserted island somewhere, you’ll know Australia’s controversial, prolonged and expensive public survey has voted in favour of same-sex marriage. Across the nation, banners waved slogans such as ‘Love Wins’ and ‘Equality at Last’. But...
The British Empire’s Opium Trade Led to the War on Drugs
In the mid-18th century, China was exporting large quantities of highly sought-after commodities to European countries, such as porcelain, silk, tea and spices. By contrast, the goods produced in Europe were of little interest to the Chinese. Under the Qing...
