Criminal laws “lead almost to a ‘brain explosion’”, says Supreme Court Judge
Victorian Supreme Court Judge Mark Weinberg has seen a great deal in his 50 years as a lawyer, including the criminal law’s “shift from common law to statute, and in some cases, to codification”. In his speech to the Victorian...
Reclaim Australia Member Charged with Terrorism
Last December, we reported on the case of 31-year-old Phillip Galea, a member of extreme right-wing group Reclaim Australia who was found in possession of five tasers, more than 3000 times the legal limit of mercury (which can be used...
Robbery Rife in Rio
As the Olympic Games get into full swing and all eyes focus on Rio, the city’s underbelly has its sights firmly set on tourists. A Brazilian newspaper has reported that an average of 15 foreign tourists are falling victim to...
Illegal Use of Tasers and Police Cover-Ups – the Bugmy Case
The case of Phillip Charles Bugmy was one of several incidents leading to a review by the NSW Ombudman into the use of tasers by police. It preceded the highly publicised case of Brazilian student Roberto Laudisio Curti, who died...
KickAss Torrents Kicked Out of the Market
The man behind a popular file-sharing site is the subject of criminal charges in the US for copyright infringement and money laundering. 30-year-old Ukrainian, Artem Vaulin, is alleged to be the mastermind behind Kickass Torrents or ‘KAT’. Vaulin has been...
Bar Fight Ends in Murder
Just as midnight rolled into Friday morning on 21 February, 2014, 30-year old Nicholas (Nick) McEvoy was found lying on a footpath, close to death, in the Western Sydney suburb of Dean Park. How he got there was a mystery....
Australian Doctors Refuse to Be Silenced
As previously reported, Australian doctors have protested against laws embodied in section 42 of the Border Force Act 2015 (‘the Act’) which prevent “entrusted persons” from disclosing “protected information” about detention centres. The section prescribes a maximum penalty of two...
Australian Lawyers Lead the Way in Pro Bono Work
Lawyers are often seen as money-hungry and heartless individuals who live in ‘ivory towers’, with legal professionals being the target of frequent criticism and the butt of many jokes. However, the legal industry is one of the few which consistently...
Terrorists Could Be Kept in Prison Indefinitely
The Australian government is seeking to impose more control over those in prison, ostensibly to protect against terrorism. Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has written to state and territory leaders urging them to adopt laws to keep people who have been...
Judge and Accused Murderer Exchange Insults
It started as a routine hearing, but ended with the defendant facing contempt of court charges, and the judge also facing possible disciplinary action over a heated exchange that included profanities and vulgar insults. Denver Fenton Allen, accused beating a...
