Remembering the Impact of the Strathfield Massacre
First published: 6 March 2018 The idea of arming school teachers may not seem appropriate or warranted in Australia. But in the US state of Michigan, lawmakers are currently considering new gun-related legislation that could establish a scheme whereby trained teachers...
Results of Recent Firearms Amnesty Triggers Debate
The final results of last year’s National Firearms Amnesty have been released, revealing that tens of thousands of previously unaccounted for firearms were handed-in Australia wide between July and September. A total of 57,324 firearms were surrendered, including around 2,500...
Top Cop’s Bigoted Social Media Posts Uncovered
One of Victoria’s top police officers resigned this week, after it was discovered he was responsible for a series of bizarre racist and sexist rants posted to YouTube. Brett Guerin, the head of Victoria Police’s Professional Standards Command and Assistant...
NSW Police Use Anti-Protest Laws to Monitor Tour Groups
Over a weekend in February, a tour group visiting areas threatened by mining in the Upper Hunter was placed under NSW police surveillance. This apparently unwarranted monitoring - reminiscent of totalitarian regimes like North Korea – seems to be yet...
Time to Start Over: An Interview With Medicinal Cannabis Pioneer Lucy Haslam
Lucy Haslam has been at the forefront of the movement to re-introduce the use of medicinal cannabis in Australia since 2013. The Tamworth local was instrumental in engaging the support of politicians to a cause that many were sceptical about....
Facebook’s ‘face recognition’ technology under fire
Facebook users will have received a post from ‘The Facebook Team’ recently announcing its facial recognition capabilities, touting the technology’s ability to bring you ‘more features’. The social media juggernaut is also seeking US patents for other technologies which allow...
Cannabis Patients Denied Access: An Interview With MCUA President Deb Lynch
The Australian medicinal cannabis quagmire is heavily impacting patients. The whole debate around the medicine has been about how to get a criminalised plant, which is now widely recognised for its beneficial qualities, into the hands of those that need...
Sydney Psychologist Suggests Homicidal Teen Should Commit Murder
A psychologist practising on Sydney’s North Shore has come before the NSW Civil and Administrative Tribunal (NCAT) after a referral from the Health Care Complaints Commission (HCCC). Dr Elise Lowick, a specialist in emerging psychosis, was facing suspension or deregistration...
Bail Assessment Officer Program Fails to Make an Impact
NSW continues to be the greatest incarcerator out of all Australian jurisdictions. Figures released recently by the Australian Bureau of Statics reveal that 13,228 inmates were incarcerated in our state in September last year, while Queensland came in at second place...
What Is Considered ‘Offensive’ Under NSW Criminal Law?
Offensive conduct is a frequently prosecuted crime in NSW. Section 4 of the Summary Offences Act 1988 provides that “a person must not conduct himself or herself in an offensive manner in or near, or within view or hearing from,...
