Once Again, Police Are Investigating Allegations of Police Brutality
Officers from the NSW Police Standards Command (PSC) are currently investigating two incidents, where NSW police officers allegedly used excessive force in the south-eastern NSW region of Queanbeyan. A call came through to Monaro police station on the evening of...
Good Cop Pressured Into Covering Up
Over the past few months, we’ve reported several cases of brutality, intimidation and cover-ups by police officers across the country, including Ballarat in Victoria, several cases in the Gold Coast, Queensland, by the NSW Police Force and the Australian Federal...
“Fragile” Police Officer Avoids Prosecution After Bashing Homeless Men
Last week, the South Australian Police Ombudsman called for a constable’s police powers to be revoked in the interests of public safety. The recommendation was made in a report about the officer’s conduct during a violent assault on 5 December...
Case Thrown Out Due to Illegal Arrest
As previously discussed, courts have the power under section 138 of the Evidence Act 1995 to exclude evidence obtained by police officers in the course of an unlawful arrest. The case of R v William John Bennett (2015) is an...
Interview Ruled Inadmissible After Illegal Arrest
As the name suggests, the Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 2002 (the LEPRA) sets out many of the rules which apply to police when exercising their powers. Section 99 of the Act lists the circumstances in which police are...
Can police enter your home over a domestic dispute?
By Jimmy Singh Our client was approached by two police officers who attended his home following an allegation of a domestic violence dispute. Upon attendance, police knocked on the front door several times, then tried to look through the front...
‘DJ Badmouth’ Sentenced to Life Imprisonment in Thailand
Young Sydney DJ Jake Mastroianni has had his double-life sentence upheld in a Bangkok Court this week. He is one of more than 250 Australians currently behind bars in foreign countries. Each year, about 1,000 Australians are arrested overseas, and...
Racial Imbalance in the NSW Judiciary
On April 26 this year, Victorian attorney-general Martin Pakula announced the appointment of Urfa Masood to the Magistrates’ Court of Victoria. Ms Masood, who is of Sri Lankan background, began practising as a solicitor with the Victorian Aboriginal Legal Service...
Overcoming the Bail Act’s ‘Show Cause’ Test
The Bail Amendment Bill 2014 introduced important changes to the existing bail regime in New South Wales. Most significantly, the amendments brought-in what are referred to as the ‘show cause’ provisions. The amended bail legislation, through the insertion of Section...
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,...
