Oscar Pistorius – Six Years for Murder
According to local media, former South African Paralympic gold medallist Oscar Pistorius showed little emotion, but looked relieved, as the judge handed-down his sentence. But the decision has angered many and divided opinion about whether it is severe enough. Pistorius,...
Sydney Grandmother Faces Execution
Mrs Nguyen Thi Huong looked anguished as the court in Ho Chi Minh City read its verdict recently. The 73-year-old Vietnamese-Australian woman has been sentenced to death for heroin trafficking. It sounds implausible … incongruous, but Vietnamese community leaders in...
‘N-Bomb’ Linked to Deaths of Young Australians
On June 8, the body of Rye Hunt was found washed up on a beach in Marcia, just outside Rio. Tasmanian-born and bred, Rye was backpacking overseas with a mate. They’d been travelling for seven weeks and were amiable travelling...
Sexual Assault Victim Re-Victimised by Criminal Justice System
In January 2015, former Stanford University swimming champion Brock Turner, aged 20, sexually assaulted a 22-year-old woman behind a garbage bin after a fraternity party. He was found guilty of three counts of sexual assault and faced a maximum penalty...
Police May Press Charges After Child Falls into Gorilla Enclosure
It’s the story that gripped the globe this week, and now US police have launched a criminal investigation into an incident at Cincinnati Zoo, which prompted zoo keepers to kill prized gorilla Harambe, after a young child climbed over a...
Teen So Rich He Couldn’t Tell Right from Wrong, Judge Finds
An American teenager who popularised the ‘affluenza defence’ has been arrested for breaching his probation. In 2013, 16-year-old Ethan Couch was sentenced to 10 years’ probation after killing four people in a drink driving incident. During his sentencing hearing, Couch’s...
Judge Swaps Sex for Freedom
Judges in the United States take a special oath called the Code of Judicial Conduct as part of their training and initiation process, which is an essential prerequisite for presiding over court hearings. Cross County District Judge Joseph Boeckmann was...
Four Cops Who’ve Taken Social Media by Storm
Have you’ve seen the stories? Four police officers from various countries have become social media sensations with their outrageous photos. Here’s the rundown. 1. The Buff Blonde Beauty Female Police Officer Adrienne Koleszar has been in the news this week,...
Legalise It, Tax It and Reap the Benefits
The recent United Nations Conference on Drugs (UNGASS) was viewed by many as a missed opportunity to move towards the decriminalisation of drugs, especially cannabis. However, there were indications that a number of countries recognise the social and economic benefits...
Pill Testing is Coming
With another 40 festival goers arrested over the weekend at Godskitchen in Melbourne, the issue of illegal drug use at music events has hit the media spotlight again. News of the Melbourne arrests coincides with recent media reports which suggest...
