What Happens if State and Federal Criminal Offences Conflict?
When it comes to criminal law, you may have noticed that both state and federal governments have enacted a range of criminal offences. In NSW, the major piece of legislation that sets out criminal offences is the Crimes Act 1900,...
How Are Prison Inmates Classified?
Andrew Peter Garforth, a current inmate at Goulburn prison has recently made headlines after it was announced that his security classification had been downgraded. Garforth was convicted in 1992 of the sexual assault and murder of a nine year old...
Charity Not Charges: Good Samaritan Cops
With all the reports about police acting outside the law and using excessive force, it’s comforting to hear that there are a number of ‘good guy’ police who will go to extra lengths to help those in need. Earlier this...
Honest and Reasonable Mistake About Age in Child Sex Cases
Imagine this: You’re 17 or 18 years old and go out one night to a party with some friends, where you meet a person who says they are 16. You start chatting to them, one thing leads to another and...
Naturopath Faces Charges for Prescribing Alternative Remedies
2015 has been a tough year for those who profess to support alternative medical treatments. April saw Belle Gibson’s empire crumble after it was revealed that she faked brain cancer in a bid to extort millions from members of the...
Homosexuality and the Law: How Far Have We Come?
Same-sex marriage was first legalised in the Netherlands in 2001. Since then, 21 countries have in place legislation allowing for same-sex marriage, with the US joining the list on 26 July 2015. Australia has not yet passed legislation to allow...
No Notoriety for Mass Murderers
The last decade has been marred by a number of deadly mass shootings around the world. In July 2012, the city of Aurora in Colorado was rocked by tragedy after lone shooter James Eagan Holmes unleashed a string of bullets...
Government Backs the Border Force Act
We recently wrote a blog about new laws which just entered into force this month, under the Australian Border Force Act 2015. Since the Act came into force this month, teachers, medical professionals and others working in detention centres could...
Bill Shorten Suspected of Corruption
The Federal Opposition Leader has been featuring in the news recently - for all the wrong reasons. He is before the Royal Commission into Trade Union Governance and Corruption, being asked to explain his actions when he worked as the...
Six Things That Law Schools Don’t Tell You – Part Two
Ever considered a career in criminal law? This is part two of our blog on six things you won’t get taught in law school. 4. Practical experience is everything There is only so much you can learn in a lecture...
