“The Weakest Link”: Australia Providing Assistance and Access to the Five Eyes
At a ministerial meeting of the Five Eyes alliance held in the Canadian capital of Ottawa on 26 June 2017, those gathered discussed the hindrance that encryption is when they’re trying to access private data. A joint communique released following...
Police Power More Present than Ever at Nimbin Mardi Grass Festival
The New Wales Police Force has been at the frontline of the state Government’s crackdown on music festivals this year, with substantial funds being allocated to ensure the events are heavily policed. The Nimbin Mardi Grass was no exception. The...
In the Public Interest: An Interview With Former Military Lawyer David McBride
Former military lawyer David McBride appeared in the ACT Supreme Court on 13 June on charges relating to classified military files that he handed over to an ABC journalist in 2016. The leaked documents formed the basis of the 2017...
Stockpiled Firearms are a Magnet for Thieves
Following a mass shooting in Darwin’s CBD earlier this month, a University of Sydney expert on gun violence has criticised police over their inaction when it comes to tracking shotguns, rifles and handguns in Australia. Darwin shooting It has been...
NSW District Court Judge Slams Brutal Police
Judge Roy Ellis of the New South Wales District Court has made clear there was no excuse for police officers to violently drag 28-year old Indigenous man Carl Hoppner from a police vehicle at Toronto Police Station on Australia Day...
Drivers Face Fines for ‘Normal’ Passenger Behaviour
It’s a law you may not know about, but certainly one worth brushing up on. You’re on a long drive and your front seat passenger is relaxing watching a YouTube clip or a movie on a tablet or smart phone....
Cannabis Legalisation Is Creeping Closer for Canberra
The ACT Legislative Assembly health committee last week tabled its report on the legislation that would see the personal possession and use of cannabis legalised in the capital territory. And with a great sigh of relief, the review recommended the...
The Offence of Drug Supply in New South Wales
A South Australian man has been handed an 18-month suspended prison sentence for selling a range of cannabis-infused products, including fairy-floss, hazelnut spread, lollies and lip balm. 32-year old James Stephen Woodward pleaded guilty in the state’s District Court to...
Silencing Dissent: Government Demonises and Targets Animal Welfare Activists
Recently appointed Australian agriculture minister Bridget McKenzie has vowed to continue the Morrison government’s crackdown on animal welfare activists with the fast tracking of new laws aimed at preventing protests being carried out by those she terms as “agri-terrorists”. Prime...
Mother of ‘Incest Family’ Granted Bail
The 52-year old matriarch of a rural Australian family has been granted bail in the Supreme Court of New South Wales after spending 14 months behind bars. The woman, given the pseudonym ‘Betty Colt’, was arrested in April 2018 and...
