Parole in New South Wales: What Are the Benefits and Risks of Granting Parole?
A recent decision to grant parole to a murderer who attempted to sexually assault a woman when he was last paroled has many up in arms. But while the decision by the NSW State Parole Authority to release convicted murderer...
The Offence of Sexual Intercourse with a Child Aged Between 10 and 14 Years in NSW
A sitting member of New South Wales parliament has resigned from the Liberal Party after being charged with multiple child sexual offences. Pittwater MP Roderick “Rory” Gilmore Amon was charged on Friday, 30 August 2023 with 10 sexual offences, comprising...
Should Australian Government Departments Pay Barristers More?
Some of the most senior and best barristers in Australia are King’s Counsel, or KC’s (formerly Queen’s Counsel, or QC’s while Queen Elizabeth was the monarch) and Senior Counsel - collectively known as ‘silks’ due to the silk robes they...
Can the Australian Government Shut Down the Internet?
If you’re not interested in reading on, the short answer is: yes, the Australian government can shut down access to the internet throughout the nation with very little justification, and without the checks and balances that are required in other...
What is the Standard Non-Parole Period for Murder in New South Wales?
Former New South Wales police officer Beau Lamarre-Condon appeared via audio visual link in Downing Centre Local Court yesterday charged with murdering Jesse Baird and his boyfriend, Luke Davies, inside a home in Sydney on 19 February 2024. The 29-year...
Should There Be a Ban on Publishing the Identity of Non-Convicted Defendants?
A promising young rugby union player is facing a jury trial over allegations he exchanged sexually explicit images and engaged in sexual conduct with two underage girls. The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions alleges that the now 23-year...
The Criminal Offence of Forced Marriage in Australia
Ruqia Haidari had a hard life as it was - she and her family had to flee the Taliban to relocate to the Afghan Hazara community in Shepparton to begin a new life. In addition to political unrest in her...
Ten Weird Criminal Laws of the World – Part 2
In our first instalment of ten weird criminal laws of the world, we saw how seemingly innocuous acts like holding a salmon in England, failing to smile in Milan and chewing gum in Singapore can land you on the wrong...
Ten Weird Criminal Laws of the World – Part 1
Ahh criminal law - an instrument that supposedly reduces the prospects of people being harmed, punishes those who harm others, and maintains good order in society. But is it really? Some criminal laws around the world might have us wondering...
NSW District Court Judge and Director of Public Prosecution at Loggerheads
New South Wales District Court Judge Penelope Wass has lodged a complaint to the Office of the Legal Services Commissioner against the state’s Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) Sally Dowling, citing a series of grievances that have strained their professional...
