Prisoners Denied Basic Human Rights
Prisons are not meant to be homes away from home - after all, the purpose is to penalise an offender for committing a crime. But at the same time, prisoners shouldn’t be subjected to treatment that infringes upon their basic...
Judges Get Creative with Penalties
When it comes to sentencing in NSW, magistrates and judges are fairly limited in what sentences they can hand-down - but this isn’t the case everywhere. Some judges in other countries are known to impose less conventional forms punishments upon...
Gambling Addiction and Crime
Gambling has been a form of popular entertainment in Australia from earliest colonial days right up to the present day, with Australians spending billions of dollars on various forms of gambling each year. Unfortunately, gambling can get addictive and lead...
Wigs and Robes in the Courtroom
In Australia there are limited people outside the legal profession who wear professional attire rooted in standards from the 1600s. The Australian legal system is steeped in history and tradition, with cases decided centuries ago still forming part of our...
Should Chimps Have Legal Rights?
It’s well known that chimpanzees are intelligent - they can perform complex mathematical calculations, play competitive games such as chess and poker, and even communicate. They also have excellent short-term memories and are even able to drive modified cars. But...
The Depp Dog Debacle: Which Side Are You On?
Johnny Depp recently came to our shores to shoot the fifth ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ movie, and like many travelling stars, chose to bring his pets along with him. He came in by private jet and the dogs, two Yorkshire...
Police Allowed to Wear Numberplates
Do you think that police officers should have to wear badges which identify them by name, or are numberplates enough? The NSW Police Association has said for some time that it is dangerous for members of the police force to...
Amateur Sleuths: Helping Police to Solve Crimes
There’s nothing like a mysterious crime to keep us on the edge of our seats. Agatha Christie knew this all too well - her many murder mystery titles are entrenched classics in modern-day literature, and there’s also a string of...
Should There be Tougher Laws Against Foreign Ownership?
There are property auctions held all over Australia every weekend, and most of them seem to have a common theme. Residential real estate is selling for enormous sums these days, which is having the effect of forcing many “ordinary” Australians...
Can Necessity Be a Defence to Murder?
Australian law recognises the value of dignity and respect for human life. This means that there are only limited circumstances where killing another person is excusable. Self-defence is probably the most well-known defence, but what about necessity? Can it ever...
