The Offence of Causing Bushfires in New South Wales
It has been reported that a 79-year old man from the south coast of South Australia was arrested on Saturday, 4 January 2020 and charged with four counts of intentionally causing a bushfire. Police allege the man lit four scrub...
The Law, Penalties and Defence for Sexual Touching in New South Wales
It has been reported that at around 7.30pm on Friday, 27 December 2019 a 41-year old man from Hurstville Grove in Sydney’s south stopped an 18-year old door-to-door salesperson as she was walking on a street, lured her into his...
The Law, Defences and Penalties for Making a False Accusation in NSW
It has been reported that a 19-year old British student is facing up to 12 months in prison after being convicted of ‘public mischief’ for falsely claiming that 12 Israeli men gang-raped her in Ayia Napa, a resort town on...
The Government Continues the Slow Torture of Refugees, In Our Name
With the new year having ticked over, it must be comforting for Liberal Nationals politicians, such as Scott Morrison and Peter Dutton, to begin 2020 knowing that they have offshore detainees exactly where they want them: acting as beacons of...
Court Reduces Sentence for Customs Officer Turned Tobacco Smuggler
It was around March 2017 when ex-Australian Border Force (ABF) customs official Johayna Merhi and current ABF senior customs officer Craig Eakin agreed to assist the Jomaa crime syndicate with their illicit large-scale tobacco importation operation. Unbeknownst to the pair...
Indonesia Pressures Foreign Teachers to Take ‘Gay Test’
The Indonesian government is putting pressure on foreign teachers to take a test which it says can determine whether a person has ‘abnormal’ sexual desires. Reports suggest that the exam ask questions such as “agree or disagree: I would feel...
How Does the NSW Demerit Point Suspension Scheme Work?
At around 1 am on Christmas day this year, NSW Central West highway patrol officers pulled over a Nissan Skyline on the Newell Highway near Parkes to randomly breathalyse the driver. However, on checking the details of his licence, officers...
Police Abuse Powers at Kirribilli: An Interview With Greens MLC David Shoebridge
As rumours circulated about the PM having perhaps taken off to Hawaii for a holiday with his family as a well set in nationwide bushfire crisis continued, hundreds of student climate activists gathered out front of Kirribilli House on 19...
Should the Age of Criminal Responsibility in Australia be Raised?
During the 12 month period 2017-2018, more than five-and-a-half thousand young people aged 10 and over were under youth justice supervision on an average day. Eighteen percent were in detention and, of those , 60% were unsentenced. Half were Indigenous....
Butt Tossers Face Heavy Fines and Demerit Points
In the wake of devastating bush fires across New South Wales, and a countryside that’s in the midst of drought, the state government has introduced tough new penalties for anyone who tosses a cigarette butt from a car window. New...
