Insulting People Due to Race: Should it be Legal?
Just months after ethnic minorities expressed relief about the government’s abandonment of plans to repeal section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has now announced that he would support a ‘softer’ proposal that would no longer...
Social Media – Watch What You Say!
Social media has become an integral part of our everyday lives - allowing us to connect and express ourselves in a range of ways. But some use social media as a way to vent personal frustrations, without regard to the...
Life Imprisonment for Child Sex Offenders
Convicted child sex offenders will face life in prison under new laws currently before NSW Parliament. NSW Attorney General Gabrielle Upton has introduced a bill to impose the harsher penalty, saying that sentences that handed-down in these cases don’t align...
Would You Be Harder on Crime than a Judge?
Magistrates and judges are often criticised by the general public for being too ‘soft’ when dealing with offenders. For instance, 23-year-old Luke Lazarus was recently sentenced to a minimum of three years imprisonment following a conviction for the sexual assault...
Smoking Cannabis While Pregnant is “My Business”
Meet Billie Jo Wilkie, a 21-year-old from one of the most economically and socially disadvantaged suburbs of Sydney. If you were one of the 935,000 Australians who tuned in to the controversial TV show ‘Struggle Street’, you are probably familiar...
Police Who Commit Crimes: Should they Face Greater Punishment?
Police officers hold a position of great power and responsibility, and they should set a good example for the rest of the community. But when the very people who are meant to uphold the law and protect the community end...
Kids Learning About Police Brutality in School
Police brutality is a concerning issue both in Australia and overseas. If you’ve spent some time reading our blogs, you will be aware of the extent to which some police officers have used excessive and unlawful force when dealing with...
Both Partners Responsible for a Violent Relationship?
Last week, a controversial opinion piece was published in Melbourne’s The Age newspaper. Written by a clinical psychologist by the name of Sallee McLaren, it suggested that there is a ’50:50 contribution to the final outcome of violence’ by both...
The “Struggle Street” Controversy
SBS’s controversial three-part documentary series Struggle Street caused a furore even before it aired. The series, which examined social inequality in the Western Sydney suburb of Mount Druitt, created a stir following the release of unflattering advertisements for its first...
The Boston Bomber Death Penalty: Justice?
On 15 April 2013, a terrorist act took place that would alter the images that come to mind when we hear of the Boston Marathon. Three people were killed and hundreds were injured when two pressure-cooker bombs used exploded near...
