What Happens If Police Damage My Property?
Recent changes to the law mean that police are getting more and more power. But fortunately, they cannot barge down your front door and come into your home without a legitimate reason. Police must have a legitimate reason come into...
City Pays People Not to Commit Crimes – And It’s Working!
What do you think about taxpayers paying repeat offenders not to commit crimes? It may sound strange, but this is just what one US town has been doing. The district of Richmond in San Francisco Bay has employed an unusual...
Should Bigamy Continue to Be a Crime?
The practice of being in a relationship with numerous spouses, or ‘polygamy’, is an integral part of many traditional cultures around the world. It is practised in several Asian, African and Middle Eastern cultures - and even in Mormon communities...
Is the AFP Partly Responsible For the Deaths of Chan and Sukamaran?
Australians were outraged by the execution of ‘Bali Nine’ members Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran in Indonesia on 29 April this year. Many were equally appalled that their deaths might have been avoided if the Australian Federal Police (AFP) had...
‘Judge Dread’ Strikes Again
One Queensland magistrate has caused concern amongst members of the legal profession after indulging in conduct that is out of keeping with what is expected of a person who holds such a powerful and important position. The magistrate, Stuart Shearer,...
Would You Ever Sedate Your Child for a Long Car Trip?
You’re planning a trip with the kids. It’s going to be fantastic. You’ll revisit many of the spots that you loved as a child, and you’re really looking forward to it. There’s just one problem: Six hours in the car....
Should Those with Criminal Records be Allowed to Become Teachers?
Can someone become a teacher with a criminal record? Like many legal questions, the short answer is: it depends. Many of us have made mistakes over the years, but what if one mistake could mean you were now ineligible for...
Should Victims Have More Say in Penalty?
In the US, prosecutors are pushing for the death penalty for Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, the man convicted of the 2013 Boston Marathon bombing, and the sentencing process has already started. But the parents of an eight-year-old victim of the bombing have...
Would You Pay Someone to Take on Your Demerit Points?
Social media reaches into almost every aspect of our lives these days, and it has proven to be both useful and dangerous. It offers a great deal of convenience, but at the same time it has the potential to land...
Should We Have Specialist Courts For War Veterans?
The 25th of April 2015 commemorated 100 years since allied soldiers, including Australians and New Zealanders, attempted to capture the Gallipoli peninsula in Turkey. The brave soldiers were met with fierce resistance, and over 44,000 allied soldiers were killed, including...
