Accessing Your Own Metadata: Ben’s Battle
We previously published a series of blogs about the Federal Government’s controversial new metadata laws, which were passed by the Senate in March. The Telecommunications (Interception and Access) Amendment (Data Retention) Bill 2015 was premised on the notion that it...
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...
‘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,...
Prosecuted for not sending kids to school
We all want the best for our kids, and not everyone feels that the traditional school system is the right fit. After all, plenty of successful people have had little or no formal schooling. But in NSW, making sure your...
High Court Cuts ICAC down to size
You may remember late last year that Crown Prosecutor Margaret Cunneen faced accusations of perverting the course of justice after her son’s girlfriend had a car accident. The allegations were that Cunneen told Sophia Tilley, the girlfriend, to fake chest...
Police Report an ‘Explosion’ in Online Child Sex Offences
A 47-year-old man has been charged with committing 145 child sex offences on 28 children, including 8 counts of ‘grooming a child under 16 to procure engagement in sexual activity’ in what has been described as one of the most...
Incriminating Yourself On TV, Radio or Social Media
There were shock-waves across America recently when millionaire Robert Durst appeared in a top-rating documentary about his life, including three murders he is accused of committing. During the final episode of the documentary series The Jinx, Durst - apparently unaware...
A Mother’s Account of Her Son’s Ice Addiction: A Sydney Criminal Lawyers® Exclusive
At the end of last year I waited, wondering if - despite the reassurances of hospital staff - the police would take my missing persons report seriously. My son had only disappeared that afternoon. However, he’d disappeared from the hospital...
Illegal File-Sharing Club: The Implications of the iiNet Ruling
Have you ever illegally downloaded a movie, music file or software? If you’re among the estimated 29% of Australians who answered ‘yes’, you may be getting a nasty letter in the mail threatening legal action unless you pay the owners...
Jill Meagher Murder – Should Juries Know About Prior Offences?
Adrian Bayley: It’s a name that sends chills down the spines of women right around the country. The 41-year-old man found himself in the media spotlight after he was convicted of murdering 29-year-old ABC employee Jill Meagher in Melbourne in...
