Prisons as Dumping Grounds for the Mentally Ill
The link between mental health and crime has long been established; with inmates around four times more likely to experience mental health issues compared to the general population. Given these statistics, you might think that mental health services are easily...
The title of ‘Queen’s Counsel’ may be reintroduced
The title of ‘Queen’s Counsel’, which was once reserved for the most distinguished barristers in the fraternity, was abolished by the Fahey state government in 1993 and replaced with the title of ‘Senior Counsel’. Some believed that the sudden change...
Will the National Domestic Violence Scheme be Effective?
The death of 11-year-old Victorian boy Luke Batty at the hands of his father in February 2014 highlighted for many the seriousness and the cost of domestic violence, and sparked a national campaign to protect women and children. More than...
Vigilantes Taking the Law Into Their Own Hands
If you’ve ever seen the television drama Dexter, you’d know about Dexter Morgan, a troubled young man who leads a double life - working as a blood splatter analyst with the Miami Police Force by day, and as a vigilante,...
Insulting People Due to Race: Should it be Legal?
Just months after ethnic minorities expressed relief about the government’s abandonment of plans to repeal section 18C of the Racial Discrimination Act, Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull has now announced that he would support a ‘softer’ proposal that would no longer...
Social Media – Watch What You Say!
Social media has become an integral part of our everyday lives - allowing us to connect and express ourselves in a range of ways. But some use social media as a way to vent personal frustrations, without regard to the...
Smoking Cannabis While Pregnant is “My Business”
Meet Billie Jo Wilkie, a 21-year-old from one of the most economically and socially disadvantaged suburbs of Sydney. If you were one of the 935,000 Australians who tuned in to the controversial TV show ‘Struggle Street’, you are probably familiar...
The “Struggle Street” Controversy
SBS’s controversial three-part documentary series Struggle Street caused a furore even before it aired. The series, which examined social inequality in the Western Sydney suburb of Mount Druitt, created a stir following the release of unflattering advertisements for its first...
The Depp Dog Debacle: Which Side Are You On?
Johnny Depp recently came to our shores to shoot the fifth ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ movie, and like many travelling stars, chose to bring his pets along with him. He came in by private jet and the dogs, two Yorkshire...
Amateur Sleuths: Helping Police to Solve Crimes
There’s nothing like a mysterious crime to keep us on the edge of our seats. Agatha Christie knew this all too well - her many murder mystery titles are entrenched classics in modern-day literature, and there’s also a string of...
