Justice Reinvestment: Tackling The Problems Behind Offending
There has been a doubling of inmates in prison over the past 30 years, with Indigenous and young people being amongst the groups most affected by the constant move towards punitive measures. But the prison system has attracted a lot...
Can I Become A Lawyer With A Criminal Record?
In many ways the legal system depends on the honesty and ethics of legal practitioners, so it makes sense that there are restrictions on the people who can apply. To be admitted as a lawyer, you must be a person...
Police Recruits Inadequately Trained to Use Firearms
The police are supposed to keep our streets safer but recent reports have suggested that police recruits are being allowed to work without sufficient training in basic safety procedures and the lawful use of firearms. It has been suggested that...
Arrests Without Paperwork – Efficiency and Safety? Or Further Reducing Accountability and Personal Liberty?
Normally when police officers want to arrest a suspect, they are required to fill out the relevant paperwork and comply with certain regulations. This is no longer the case in the Northern Territory, where laws have been introduced allowing police...
Cases That Fall Under the Legal Definition of Fraud in NSW
Fraud offences are on the increase, according to the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR). Figures from July this year show that the crime rate for fraud has been steadily increasing over the previous two years, at a...
Many of Those Who Are Charged By Police Are Innocent – Example: Assault Charges and Self-Defence
Being charged with assault can be a stressful experience, especially if you were acting to defend yourself against an aggressor. The scene of an alleged assault can be messy and confusing, and some people handle themselves better than others when...
Top Ten Tips For Representing Yourself When Pleading Guilty to Drink Driving
Drink driving is one of the most common criminal offences before the NSW courts. Many people charged with drink driving will wish to plead guilty and get it over with, but won’t have the financial resources to hire a lawyer....
The Right to be Forgotten – Should We Possess the Right to have Embarrassing Information Removed from the Internet?
The rise of the digital age and social media sites has seen an erosion of privacy, with photos, emails, and other information being distributed across the web for all the world to see. Many of us have been plagued by...
10 Tips For Staying Safe Over New Year’s
With New Year’s Eve just around the corner, it’s no doubt that police will once again be out in force patrolling the streets. Every year, police arrest a large number of people - many for alcohol-related offences. However, there are...
The Dilution of the Doctrine of Double Jeopardy and the Gordon Wood Case
In June 1995, the body of Sydney model Caroline Byrne was found at The Gap, Watson’s Bay. It took thirteen years for Gordon Wood, her then boyfriend, to stand trial for her murder. He was adamant that she committed suicide,...
