When Can Illegally Obtained Evidence Be Excluded?
Evidence that is being used in a criminal case needs to comply with a range of rules, and there are certainly limits on what can and can’t be used as evidence in a courtroom. The admissibility of evidence in NSW...
Should Police be Allowed to ‘Estimate’ Speed?
Revenue from speeding fines helps to fill state government coffers year-after-year. In the last financial year alone, NSW motorists paid $150 million in speeding fines. Many of those tickets were for going slightly over the speed limit in areas not...
Do I have to turn up to court if I’m pleading guilty?
Several people have recently informed our firm that they took the advice of police and filled out the back of their little yellow ‘court attendance notice’ (CAN), indicated a plea of guilty, then sent it to court only to later...
Should low-range drink drivers get criminal records?
If you have been charged with drink driving, you are certainly not alone. Drink driving, also known as ‘P.C.A.’, is the most common offence in NSW Local Courts, accounting for 20% of all cases. And it may surprise you that...
Bribing the Human Rights Commissioner – Did the Government Act Illegally?
It appears that Human Rights Commissioner Gillian Triggs is fighting yet another battle with the Federal Government. In January, Professor Triggs came under fire after she recommended that an Indonesian man who served his prison time after being convicted of...
Drug Scandal Rocks Football World – Players Stood Down
If you’re a Gold Coast NRL fan, you may have been disappointed to hear that five Titans players were recently stood down from the club following allegations that they were involved in the supply and possession of cocaine. Players Greg...
Should both parents be charged if a baby is shaken to death?
Parents who shake or otherwise fatally injure their children could be convicted even when it isn’t clear which parent is responsible under suggested changes to the law prompted by the violent and tragic death of a baby boy in NSW....
Do You Trust The Criminal Justice System?
NSW residents are more confident that the criminal justice system brings those who are guilty to justice than they have been in years, according to a recent report released by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR). The...
Are Drug Driving Laws Fair?
NSW drivers are now facing an even greater chance of being drug tested, after police have linked crashes to drug use. And newer machines used to detect drugs in saliva samples are even more sensitive to drugs than older technology,...
What Powers Do NSW Police Special Constables Have?
Special constables have been part of the NSW Police Force since the 1700s, taking part in night watch patrols in Sydney from 1789. Over the years, the scope and range of policing duties expanded, and special constables became less widely...
