Mastermind Behind Silk Road Convicted on All Charges
American web developer Ross Ulbricht was this week convicted on seven Federal charges, including trafficking drugs on the internet, computer hacking and money laundering. Following a three-week long trial, a jury found that the 30-year-old had planned, created and run...
Bikies Charged Under Controversial Consorting Laws
Detective Superintendent Debbie Wallace has declared that she will be going tough on bikers who repeatedly associate with those who have criminal records, which is an offence known as ‘consorting’. Over the weekend, a total of 13 members of the...
Illegal Phone Tapping by NSW Police: Is the Force Corrupt from the Core?
How would you feel if you found out that your colleagues had tapped your phone and other communications outlets in order to jeopardise your career? You might feel betrayed, angry or upset. You might even lodge a complaint with your...
Two Lawyers knew Convicted Murderer was Innocent: Why didn’t they Speak Out?
Imagine this: the fate of an innocent person is in your hands - but your professional obligations prevent you from speaking out. One survey of Australian criminal lawyers found that 75% have regularly lain awake worrying about ethical issues connected...
Should Police Be Allowed to Police Themselves? The NT’s Top-Cop Resigns Amidst Allegations of Corruption
Over the years, we’ve published many blogs about corrupt politicians, police, lawyers and even magistrates. But it seems that even the highest members of the police force are not immune from claims of corruption, with Northern Territory Police Commissioner John...
Should Members of the Bali Nine be Executed?
It has been reported that six people were executed in Indonesia over the weekend for drug offences, including five foreigners. And it’s no secret that smuggling drugs overseas - especially to and from Asian countries - is a risky endeavour...
‘Elastic Heart’, ‘Toddlers and Tiaras’– Is the Sexualisation of Children in the Media Acceptable?
If you’ve been lurking the web lately, you may have seen or heard some of the public backlash against Sia’s controversial new video clip. The 39-year-old Aussie singer, who hails from Adelaide, attracted criticism last week when she released the...
Alan Jones Loses Nine Year Battle Over Racist Comments
Very few people can polarise people the way that Alan Jones can. He has a loyal following of conservative AM listeners but has also attracted criticism for some of his controversial comments and opinions. Alan Jones has recently been defeated...
The Dilution of the Doctrine of Double Jeopardy and the Gordon Wood Case
In June 1995, the body of Sydney model Caroline Byrne was found at The Gap, Watson’s Bay. It took thirteen years for Gordon Wood, her then boyfriend, to stand trial for her murder. He was adamant that she committed suicide,...
With so much Media Attention on Violent Crime: Are Crime Rates in NSW Rising or Falling
Recent figures from the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) show that most of the main offence types have remained steady or decreased in number throughout the state over the previous three months. There have been a number...
