Good Cop Pressured Into Covering Up
Over the past few months, we’ve reported several cases of brutality, intimidation and cover-ups by police officers across the country, including Ballarat in Victoria, several cases in the Gold Coast, Queensland, by the NSW Police Force and the Australian Federal...
To Adler or Not to Adler: the Rapid-Fire Shotgun Debate
A controversial ban on the eight-shot Adler A110 lever-action shotgun will remain in place, after state police ministers failed to reach a consensus on its reclassification last Friday. NSW police minister Troy Grant told the meeting that his state would...
Ombudsman to Recommend Charges Against Police Over Illegal Bugging
The NSW Ombudsman, Professor John McMillan, is set to recommend criminal charges against current and former NSW police officers for illegally bugging several journalists and over 100 other officers, including former deputy police commissioner Nick Kaldas. Public Inquiry Process Professor...
Should Anti-Vaccination Nurses be Prosecuted?
A small number of nurses and midwives who have been disseminating anti-vaccination advice on social media could be prosecuted for sharing “false or misleading” information. The Nursing and Midwifery Board of Australia (NMBA) has urged patients and members to report...
Conflict of Interest? Fit and Proper Person? Barristers Cleared of Misconduct
By Blake O’Connor and Ugur Nedim Two criminal law barristers have recently been cleared of serious allegations of misconduct. Walter Sofronoff QC Mr Sofronoff was previously Queensland’s Solicitor-General and, more recently, led the successful High Court Appeal to have the...
Harm Minimisation and Beyond: An Interview with Unharm’s Will Tregoning
Australia has a long history of harm minimisation. Since 1985, reducing the risks associated with drug use has formed the basis of the nation’s National Drug Strategy. Indeed, Australia has been a world leader in a field that acknowledges some...
Million Mask March is Coming to Sydney
Tens of thousands of concerned individuals are expected to attend ‘Million Mask Marches’ in more than 700 locations across the globe on November the 5th, and major Australian cities are no exception. The marches are being planned and promoted by...
Australia’s Shift Towards Totalitarianism
A suite of harsh anti-protest laws were passed by the NSW parliament on March 17 this year. The legislation has increased police powers to prevent public protests and created a new offence of “aggravated unlawful entry on inclosed lands.” Among...
Tinder Murder Trial: What the Jury Wasn’t Told
Mr Gable Tostee was acquitted yesterday of both murder and manslaughter over the death of his Tinder date Warriena Wright, who fell from his 14th floor apartment after the pair got into an argument. As reported in an earlier blog,...
The Life of a Former NSW Judge: An Interview with John Nicholson SC
John Nicholson SC has had a long and illustrious career within the NSW judicial system. On 23 July 2001, he was sworn in as a judge of the NSW District Court. But prior to law, he had a number of...