Body Cams a Win for the Police and the Public
NSW Police officers are to be equipped with “body cams”, lightweight video cameras that are clipped to officers’ uniforms when they are dealing with the public. This new initiative was announced recently by the NSW Government, and is expected to roll out...
The $7m Insider Trading Sting: Should Police Have Stopped It?
The Australia Federal Police (AFP) recently arrested a banker from Melbourne in an insider trading sting that resulted in $7 million in assets being seized. So what is insider trading? Exactly what happened in this case? And should authorities have intervened earlier...
The Innocence Project Australia
Over the past few decades the Innocence Project has highlighted problems in the justice system in the US, which can allow for wrongful convictions. One American man, (although not acquitted with the Innocence Project) Jonathon Fleming, spent 25 years in...
Should the Trials Have Been Separated in the Hughes Case?
There has been a lot of attention surrounding the trial and conviction of Australian TV star Robert Hughes, who played the father in the 1980s sitcom Hey Dad! Hughes was recently found guilty of 10 child sex offences dating back to the...
Was resignation O’Farrells only option?
Recent events have shown that neither side of politics is immune from the clutches of ICAC. Just over a week ago, the revelation came that, despite his denials, O’Farrell had indeed received a bottle of Penfolds wine worth $3,000 –...
The Reliability of Confessions in the Daniel Morcombe Case
The highly publicised trial of child sex offender Brett Peter Cowan for the murder of 13-year-old Daniel Morcombe has cast a spotlight on a number of different legal issues, including the reliability of confessions. Cowan was earlier this month convicted...
No More Right to Silence – Police Questioning
The NSW parliament recently passed two pieces of legislation designed to: (1) water down a person’s right to silence when being questioned by police, and (2) require the defence to disclose its case in the lead-up to a criminal trial....
Police Assault Young Man at Mardi Gras
By now you will have seen footage of a solidly-built police officer throwing a slightly-built, handcuffed young man to the hard ground and then standing on his body at last Saturday’s Mardi Gras. You may also have seen tv interviews...
Criminal Lawyers and Civil Libertarians Criticise Heavy-Handed Police
Approximately 300 police in full riot gear set upon Islamic protesters with capsicum spray and police dogs shortly after the commencement of an initially-peaceful demonstration in Sydney on Saturday 15th September. The demonstration was part of a wave of worldwide...
