Queensland’s First ‘Training Prison’ to Open in 2016
Recent years have seen an increased focus on sending people to prison as punishment, rather than for rehabilitation. Unfortunately, the steep rise in prison rates means that more often than not, inmates are unable to access the limited support and...
Should the Age of Criminal Responsibility be Raised?
On the 12th of February 1993, two-year-old James Bulger was kidnapped and cruelly tortured to death after going missing during a shopping trip with his mother. A post-mortem examination revealed the young child had suffered extensive injuries as a result...
Police to Pay Costs After Assaulting Man Over Dinosaur
We recently penned a blog about removalist Rickey Caton, who was assaulted and then charged by police after he jokingly showed two officers a toy dinosaur during a roadside stop. But it seems the joke is now on the police...
Where are they now? Defendants in famous criminal law cases
When examining the criminal law for principles and precedents, it can be easy to forget that each case involved real human beings. These individuals often have interesting lives beyond their landmark cases, and their criminal proceedings can have a lasting...
Should Interlock Devices be Fitted to All Vehicles?
Getting behind the wheel in Australia means having to obey a whole host of traffic rules – but imagine if this included a mandatory breath test before you even turned the ignition! While fitting an ‘alcohol interlock device’ may be...
Tricks Police Use to Get People to ‘Confess’
Being asked to participate in a police interview can be stressful and confronting. Many ‘suspects’ are unsure about what to do when called in to the station - they may want to participate but worried that they will say something...
Report says: Focus on Child Sex Offences Rather than Targeting Bikers
Queensland has gained a reputation its stance against motorcycle groups, with former Premier Campbell Newman waging a war on motorcyclists during his time in power. Newman made headlines after his government introduced the controversial and provocatively named Vicious Lawless Association...
Judge Suspended for Challenging Lawyer to a Fist Fight
Everyone knows Judge Judy, the television judge that often loses her patience with litigants who “pee on her leg and tell her it’s raining”. But one Florida judge has taken it a step further - challenging a lawyer to a...
Murder Convictions Without a Body: the ‘Campden Wonder’
In Australia, a person can be found guilty of murder without a body – but this hasn’t always been the case. Abundant caution should be a priority these cases, as it can become awkward when ‘murder victims’ resurface, alive and...
Would You Risk Prison to Keep Your Driver Licence?
How far would you go to avoid a speeding fine or demerit points? Lie to authorities? Find a Justice of the Peace to sign a false statement? According to the Roads and Maritime Service (RMS), a large number of people...
