Craig Thomson found ‘Not Guilty’ of 49 Fraud Charges
Many would be aware of the highly publicised controversy surrounding disgraced former Federal MP and Health Services Union secretary, Craig Thomson. 50 year-old Thomson is alleged to have committed numerous acts of fraud, after a Health Services Union secretary identified...
What is a Preventative Detention Order?
Being arrested and detained without being formally charged is considered a breach of human rights in many countries. But counter terrorism laws allow police in NSW to arrest and detain a person as a “preventative” measure against terrorism, without charging...
A First-Hand Look at Recreational Marijuana in the Mile High City
In recent times, a move towards the legalisation of marijuana for recreational purposes in NSW has been gaining momentum. Earlier this year, the NSW State Government began clinical trials on the use of marijuana for medicinal purposes. Even our usually...
Police Blitz Targets over 100 Alleged Shoplifters in Sydney
When December rolls around each year, the stores are filled with people frantically trying to cross everything off their shopping lists before Christmas hits. But it’s also the time that, for whatever reason, shoplifters hit the shops in record numbers,...
Lawyers Struck Off for Professional Misconduct
Lawyers, like most professionals, have to abide by certain codes of conduct. If they act in a way that is considered unprofessional or that contravenes professional guidelines, they can end up facing disciplinary action and potentially even losing their licence...
Why Do Innocent People Confess to Crimes they Never Committed?
Police love confessions, because it often makes their job so much easier, especially if there is no strong evidence to prove that the suspect committed the crime. A confession is often considered to be rock-solid evidence, but should it be?...
Celebrity No Barrier to Charges of Negligent Driving in NSW
Being a celebrity is no barrier to falling foul of traffic laws, as football commentator Mark Bosnich recently discovered. An alleged incident involving a cyclist has led to Bosnich being charged with driving at a speed or manner dangerous, and...
Juvenile Killers of Janine Balding – Should they ever be released?
The imprisonment of two teenage convicted killers for life has been ruled inhumane and a contravention of human rights by the United Nations. The two were sentenced to life imprisonment for the abduction, rape and murder of Janine Balding in...
Is a Positive Indication by a Sniffer Dog Enough for Police to Search You? Part 2: Applying Empirical Data
In Part 1 of this series, we outlined the law relating to ‘reasonable suspicion’. To re-cap, the law says that police can only search you for drugs if they have a ‘suspicion on reasonable grounds’ that you have drugs on...
New Justice Appointed to High Court of Australia
A few weeks ago we reported that two current High Court Justices, Susan Crennan and Kenneth Hayne, will be due to retire next year when they reach the age of 70. Their imminent departure sparked discussion within the legal profession...
