Should Politicians Be Permitted to Accuse Others of Crimes With Impunity Under Parliamentary Privilege?
Senator David Van may not have been well known before last week. But he is now a household name after Senator Lidia Thorpe accused him last week of sexual assaulting her in parliament, under the protection of parliamentary privilege. During...
What Conduct Amounts to ‘Dangerous Driving’ in New South Wales?
Police will allege speeding was a factor in the weekend’s horror bus crash in the Hunter Valley, which resulted in the deaths of 10 passengers and more than 20 being admitted to hospital. The bus was carrying 36 passengers when...
UK Rejects Assange’s Appeal Against Extradition, Despite Global Campaign for Freedom
UK High Court Justice Jonathan Swift last Thursday denied Julian Assange’s July 2022-lodged final appeal against US extradition, which then UK home secretary Priti Patel had greenlighted the month prior. This has meant the WikiLeaks founder has spent another year in...
Albanese Has Agreed to Australia Being Designated a US Domestic Military Source in Law
Since PM Anthony Albanese graced San Diego with his presence to announce the details of the close to half a trillion dollar AUKUS nuclear-powered submarine deal in March, discussion over whether the federal government is eroding Australian sovereignty to the benefit of...
Airbags That Kill: Can Manufacturers Be Found Guilty of a Criminal Offence?
This article refers to a recent Australian announcement of yet another fatal airbag concern, and although the investigation is in its early stages, we shall explore the company involved and revisit the previous situation with the Japanese company Takata corporation,...
The Rules Regarding NSW Police Use of Body Worn Cameras
Steven Pampalian was shot dead by officers of the New South Wales Police Force following a confrontation in Sydney’s lower north shore on Thursday, 25 May 2023. According to reports, emergency services were called to Alexander Street, North Willoughby at...
The Criminal Offence of Treason: Definition, Evolution and Political Application
Treason has for hundreds of years been considered one of the most serious offences that a person can commit. Whilst the criminal offence of treason dates at least as far back as Roman times, the vagaries and inconsistencies in what...
Dodgy DNA Testing Casts Doubt on Thousands of Criminal Convictions
A scathing report handed down by a six-moth Queensland Commission of Inquiry into the state’s DNA testing methods, systems and processes has put thousands of convictions at risk of being overturned on appeal. Convicted murderer Andrew Cobby is the first who...
The Offence of Fraud: Companies Generate Billions Without Criminal Consequences
This is the first in a series of 3 articles on the criminal offence of fraud. This article will focus on the history of fraud, and outline the conduct of those who engaged in the offence in what is arguably the...
What Will the DPP Consider When Deciding Whether to Prosecute a Criminal Offence?
If you are charged with a serious criminal offence – known as an ‘indictable offence’ – the police will refer the matter to the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP) who will decide whether to ‘elect’ (choose) to...
