Government May Increase ICAC’s Power: A Good or Bad Thing?
The NSW Government is moving to quickly deal with the fall-out from the High Court’s decision in ICAC vs Cunneen, pushing urgent legislation through parliament to uphold past findings of the corruption watchdog. The Independent Commission Against Corruption Amendment (Validation)...
Sophie Monk’s Ordeal is Finally Over
Repeatedly calling, texting or following someone who you’ve got a crush on might seem relatively harmless - but crossing the line can result in serious consequences under the law. The rise of social media has made it easier to find...
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...
Is the AFP Partly Responsible For the Deaths of Chan and Sukamaran?
Australians were outraged by the execution of ‘Bali Nine’ members Andrew Chan and Myuran Sukumaran in Indonesia on 29 April this year. Many were equally appalled that their deaths might have been avoided if the Australian Federal Police (AFP) had...
‘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...
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...
Should Our Government Fund Innocence Projects?
Imagine that you are in the wrong place at the wrong time, arrested without warning, charged, questioned, subjected to a trial, and then convicted for a crime you didn’t commit. It’s a sobering thought, and it happens more often than...
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...
Law and Order Promises: Just a Vote Grab?
If state election campaigns tend to follow a theme, the recent NSW election was no exception. There were the usual promises about improving services and infrastructure, and building better roads. And, of course, promises relating to law and order were...
