Would You Rather Be Suspected of a Crime in the US or Australia?
American ‘true crime’ shows often tell stories of defendants getting-off serious criminal charges due to problems with the evidence, or legal ‘loopholes’, or last-minute ‘breakthroughs’ by cunning criminal defence lawyers. Most people are aware that these TV shows aren’t an accurate...
Cyclists Outraged Over New Laws
Sydney’s cycling community is outraged about the introduction of tough new laws which the government claims are intended to promote road safety. The laws include heavy penalties for those who commit offences and a requirement that cyclists carry photo ID...
11-year-old Bashed by Prison Guards
Many of our blogs have discussed the use of excessive force by police officers, but there are also several instances of prison guards abusing their position of power- even, it seems, when dealing with vulnerable children in custody. The Brisbane...
Serving Alcohol to Beat Alcoholism
Trying to help alcoholics kick the habit by serving them alcoholic drinks might seem like a far-fetched idea - but it is a one with potential to revolutionise the way alcohol dependency is treated, according to a panel of experts...
Art or a crime? Acclaimed Street Artist Faces Graffiti Charges
Acclaimed Australian artist, Anthony Lister, whose works appear in the homes of celebrities like Hugh Jackman, Pink, and Pharrell Williams, appeared in a Brisbane court recently, charged with wilful damage by graffiti. Hailed as “Brisbane’s Banksy”, Mr Lister is widely...
Five Famously Funny Aussies with Law Degrees
Their famously funny faces light up our television screens, but you may not know that some of Australia’s most successful comedians are hiding a dirty little secret – law degrees. People usually hold strong views about members of the legal...
Making a Murderer: David vs Goliath
The ten-hour Netflix documentary series, Making a Murderer, follows the trials of Steven Avery and Brendan Dassey for the rape and murder of Teresa Halbach, revealing significant problems with adversarial justice systems - where a defendant with limited funds is...
Violent cycles: Homelessness and Crime
Around 105,000 people are experiencing homelessness or housing stress in Australia - with Streetsmart estimating that 1 in 200 of us won’t have a home to go to tonight. The experience of homelessness has both long-term and wide-ranging consequences, often...
New Tool Aims to Nip Extremism in the Bud
Reports surfaced last week about extremist preacher Abu Haleema targeting young Australians through social media in a bid to ‘radicalise’ them. British-born Haleema had his passport cancelled by the British government due to his inflammatory sermons which attack moderate Muslim...
Australia Day or Invasion Day?
The 26th of January marks the landing of the First Fleet at Port Jackson in 1788. Millions of Australians celebrate this anniversary each year - usually by throwing a traditional Aussie barbecue, heading down to the beach, or playing a...
