What is the law on stealing dogs and using them for fighting?
Today, most people would condemn the practice of watching animals tearing each other apart. Those who organise such gruesome events are, at law, committing a serious criminal offence. But the practice of dog baiting, or dog fighting, still lingers on...
Has the NSW Government Lost the Plot on Bail?
The NSW Bail Amendment Bill 2014 appears to showcase the sort of messy governmental decision-making that comes from populist knee-jerk reactions. Within just weeks of the existing Bail Act 2013 coming into operation on May 20 this year, the Baird...
Can I make a request for criminal charges to be dropped?
Are you facing criminal or traffic charges? You may not be aware that you have the right to apply for your charges to be changed, reduced in number or dropped altogether by making written ‘representations’ to the Local Area Commander...
How can you represent someone like that?
“How can you represent someone like that?” It’s the question many criminal lawyers dread. As a defence lawyer who deals with people charged with serious crimes, it’s the question that pops up most often. I recently represented a client who...
What to Do If You Have to Attend Bidura Children’s Court
When children are charged with a crime, they are usually dealt with in the children’s court rather than in an adult court. This is partly because the process of going to court and the way that court hearings are managed...
Wrongly Accused – What are Your Rights?
We recently published a Facebook post regarding the child sex claims against singer Cliff Richard, who has denied the allegations and has not been arrested or charged. The post reached 1.5 million people, whose views on the matter are heavily...
Drug Addiction and Crime Affects People From All Backgrounds
The stereotypical drug addict is usually depicted as being from a low income or disadvantaged background, but drug addiction is far more widespread than that and affects people from all walks of life. Drug addiction also unfortunately often leads to...
How Can You Help Someone Who Is Considering Suicide?
Suicide is something that can impact anyone, no matter their background, or how wealthy, successful or popular they may be. Issues like depression and anxiety, as well as emotionally distressing life events, can strike at any time and lead to...
Father Convicted After Buying Gifts For His Son
Australia has perhaps the strictest quarantine laws in the world. We even have the TV show Border Security, where we can watch people get into trouble for infringing them. The long list of things that are not allowed into the...
What is the Role of Banks and Telecommunications when it comes to Policing?
Traditionally, policing was done by people in uniform – and the image of the navy copper doing his ‘beat’ or out arresting criminals is still a prominent one when we think of police. Today there is an increasing trend towards...
