The Evolving Legal Status of Aboriginals in Australia
High Court Justices Deane and Gaudron famously acknowledged how the law allowed extreme prejudice suffered by Indigenous Australians in Mabo v Queensland: “The official endorsement, by administrative practice and in judgment of the courts, of those two propositions [of terra...
AFP Puts Victims’ Lives at Risk
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) is billed as Australia’s primary federal law enforcement agency, responsible for keeping the community safe from harm. With an annual budget of almost a billion dollars and close to 7,000 employees, the Australian taxpayer would...
Woman’s Day Magazine: Facilitating Revenge Porn?
Woman’s Day magazine has published photographs of Collingwood AFL players, Travis Cloke and Dane Swan, in nude, sexually suggestive poses. The magazine says the players sent the images to two women – who are not their partners – about a...
Hero Cop Down and (Almost) Out
Sadly, not all police officers act with the level of professionalism and integrity that we expect of the force. But while several instances of police misconduct have made the headlines recently, there are also many officers who go above and...
Police Accused of Excessive Force as Arrest Video Goes Viral
The Queensland Police Union (QPU) has defended a police officer who was filmed pushing a mother to the ground during the arrest of her son at their Brisbane home over the weekend. The QPU says the officer acted “entirely appropriately” despite...
Police Body Cameras in NSW: What Does the Law Say?
Since 2014, the NSW Police Force has spent tens of millions of taxpayer dollars on “Body Worn Video Cameras” (BWVs), starting first with Sydney and extending to rural areas. We’ve heard a lot about the pros and cons of body...
About Time! Convictions for Gay Sex to be Removed
Gay sex was historically a crime - one which saw hundreds of Australians receive criminal records which could affect their careers and travel plans, not to mention their reputation in the community. Now of course, there is no criminal law...
Man Faces Court for Allegedly Spreading HIV
The Downing Centre Court has only been open for two weeks since the summer break, but has already seen its fair share of interesting cases. Perhaps one of the most disturbing so far is that of a man accused of...
Facing Prison for Not Paying Road Toll
Imagine being hit with a $50,000 fine for unpaid tolls - and being told that failure to pay could land you in prison. It may seem unbelievable, but this is the reality for many Victorian drivers each year, with numerous...
Police Officer Assaults Cyclist
In the latest scandal to rock the NSW Police Force, a police officer has reportedly been observed pushing a cyclist off a bike on a busy intersection in peak hour traffic, endangering his safety and causing minor injuries. Witnesses report...
