To Bail, or Not to Bail?
A Queensland father was released on conditional bail yesterday, after being charged with the sexual assault of a Korean national in Caboolture, north of Brisbane. Police allege the 23-year old man stalked the woman at Morayfield shopping centre before attacking...
Police Officer Imprisoned for Domestic Violence
Shaun Perry stared at his estranged wife and children as he learned he would spend more than two-and-a-half years behind bars for offences including spitting in his wife’s face, pulling her hair, and assaulting her with a weapon. Perry, a...
Lawyers and Judges in Nazi Germany
When Hitler became Chancellor of Germany in January 1933, he wasn’t about to let the judiciary get in the way of his aspirations for absolute power. Hitler viewed an impartial judicial system as a threat to his dream of a...
Migrants and Refugees Denied Justice
Australia is a culturally and linguistically diverse country, but a new report reveals migrant and refugee communities do not have the same access to justice as their mainstream counterparts. Migrants and refugees ignored The Judicial Council on Cultural Diversity (the...
Should the Names of Defendants be Published Before Guilt is Decided?
Being publicly named and shamed can be one of the worst things about being accused of a crime. Even if your innocence becomes clear and the charges are dropped, the damage may already have been done – and your career...
Whaling Company Fined for Wilful Contempt
The Federal Court of Australia has fined a Japanese whaling company $1 million for the criminal offence of ‘wilful contempt’ after it breached a 2008 order made under section 475 of the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act 1999 (Cth)...
Reduced Sentences for Cold Case Clues
The man accused of murdering 10-year-old Louise Bell evaded arrest for nearly three decades before being charged with her murder in 2013 following a police investigation which spanned 20 years. The young Adelaide girl was sleeping in a room with...
Police Shooting Victim is Stripped of Compensation
His story might sound like something out of a nightmare, but for Justin McMaster, it’s a harsh reality. In the early hours of September 26, 2011, the then-19-year-old was sleeping with his family at home in Colyton in Sydney’s west,...
Should Courts Remain Open to the Public?
Many people are surprised to find out that anyone can walk into a courtroom and watch criminal proceedings. Subject to certain exceptions - including cases involving child defendants and parts of sexual assault cases – courts are open to anyone...
Government Backs the Border Force Act
We recently wrote a blog about new laws which just entered into force this month, under the Australian Border Force Act 2015. Since the Act came into force this month, teachers, medical professionals and others working in detention centres could...
