Should Politicians be Sacked if they Commit Crimes?
Donald Trump’s former attorney and fixer Michael Cohen has pleaded guilty to eight charges in the United States Federal Court, and in doing so has implicated the president in a criminal conspiracy. Mr Cohen pleaded guilty to making false statements,...
US Inmates Hold Mass Strikes Against Unfair Exploitation
Prison inmates across the United States are holding a two-week strike against unfair labour exploitation, overcrowding and unsanitary conditions. Participants are also calling for the appropriate classification of inmates, highlighting that many non-violent offenders, especially those convicted of drug offences, have...
Australian Politician Calls for a Final Solution to the Muslim Problem
Fraser Anning invoked the Nazi party’s “final solution” in his maiden speech in the Senate last week in relation to “the immigration problem,” right after he’d stated that “the reasons for ending all further Muslim immigration are both compelling and self-evident.”...
Can I Change My Plea from Guilty to Not Guilty?
Defendants who are charged with criminal offences are often unsure as to how they should plead. This uncertainty may arise as a result of not fully understanding the essential elements (or ingredients) of the charges they are facing. They may...
Should We Be Allowed to Carry ‘Prohibited Weapons’ for Self-Defence?
A Queensland senator recently called upon the Federal Government to allow Australians to import and buy pepper spray and Tasers for self-defence. Katter Australia Party’s Fraser Anning, who moved the motion in the upper house, argued it is the government’s...
Double Jeopardy Laws in New South Wales
The principle of double jeopardy stipulates that a person cannot be tried twice over the same offence. The rationale is that a person who is acquitted after being put through the ordeal of a criminal trial should be able to...
Cost Orders in NSW Criminal Cases: The Legislation and Exerts from Case-Law
In certain circumstances, defendants in criminal proceedings may be able to have their legal costs reimbursed - relieving some of the financial burden associated with being the subject of a prosecution. Two of the most common ways for a defendant...
When Can a Defendant be Granted a Judge-Alone Trial in NSW?
The high profile criminal prosecution of Cardinal George Pell has raised concerns about whether Australia’s most senior Catholic will have the benefit of an impartial jury during his pending trial in Melbourne. This, in turn, has triggered debate about whether...
Archbishop Guilty of Covering up Child Sexual Abuse
One of Australia’s most senior Catholics has been found guilty of concealing child sexual abuse and faces a maximum penalty of two years in prison. 67-year old Archbishop Philip Wilson was charged in March 2015 with one count of concealing...
Lest We Forget the Frontier Wars
As Australians gather on April 25 to commemorate those who fell in conflicts on foreign soils, the nation still refuses to officially acknowledge the bloody conflicts that raged across this continent for close to a century and a half, known...
