The Dangers of Drowsy Driving
The law in Australia is that a person cannot be found guilty of dangerous or reckless driving if they were asleep at the time, as long as they honestly and reasonably believed they would not fall asleep. In other words,...
Bushrangers: Aussie Legends or Vile Criminals?
Bushrangers, once a terrifying part of the Australian landscape, now only occupy pages of in history books. Yet some of these early Australian criminals were fascinating people in their own right. Early bushrangers were called ‘bolters’ because they were escaped...
Australia to Get National Crime Database
The Australian Crime Commission (ACC) is a Commonwealth body tasked with fighting organised crime in Australia. The body has recently proposed the creation of a National Criminal Database to give law enforcement agencies across Australia greater access to intelligence about...
Selfie with Stolen Echidna Gets Men into Strife
In August of this year, Tyson Paul Bother and a friend broke into Currumbin Wildlife Sanctuary in the Gold Coast and took an echidna named ‘Piggie’ after a few too many drinks. According to Mr Bother, they intended to steal...
Man Narrowly Escapes Prison for Assault at Newtown Pub
A man who assaulted a transgender woman at a Newtown pub has narrowly escaped prison time. Alexis Ozanne is one of two men charged with assaulting Stephanie McCarthy at a Newtown pub. He pleaded guilty to ‘affray’ and ‘assault occasioning...
ICAC Acts Illegally with “Breathtaking Arrogance”
2015 hasn’t been a great year for the Independent Commission Against Corruption - after losing a landmark case against prominent criminal lawyer Margaret Cunneen, the body found its powers curtailed. Now, a report by ICAC Commissioner David Levine, QC spells...
Extremists Treated Differently Based Upon Religion
Media reporting about the threat of terrorism in Australia is relentless, with the focus almost exclusively being upon international Muslim extremist groups. In the wake of the tragic Paris attacks, public fear has triggered calls for a range of measures...
The Problem of Imbalanced Juries, Part 2: ‘Blackstriking’
Chapter 39 of the Magna Carter says that a person should not face criminal sanctions except “by lawful judgment of his peers”. Indeed, trial by jury for charges dealt with ‘on indictment’ (ie in the higher courts) is one of...
‘Biggie’s’ Killer Suspended for Taking Meth at Stereosonic
Police are paid to uphold and enforce the law. In fact, NSW taxpayers forked out 3.2 billion dollars to fund the state’s police force last year alone. They are equipped with lethal weaponry and entrusted with ever-expanding powers. Police in...
St George Customer Pockets over $2 Million Due to Bank Error
It might sound like a dream come true - withdrawing millions of dollars from your empty bank account. But a fantasy can quickly become a nightmare if you knowingly take money that you know does not belong to you. This...
