PM Promises to Criminalise Wage Theft
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has promised that laws will soon be enacted that “deal with criminalising” the worst cases of worker exploitation. During question time, the Opposition quizzed the government on what action it would take to stop restaurants grossly...
What are the Consequences of Having a Criminal Record in Australia?
Over the past 30 years, Australia’s anti-discrimination laws have expanded to provide more protection for many marginalised groups. However, a notable exception is employment discrimination for those who have found themselves on the wrong side of the law, meaning the...
The Offence of Graffiti in New South Wales
A mural depicting a satanic figure hovering over a kneeling, handcuffed George Pell in a prison tracksuit has been removed from privately-owned premises. The mural, created by Australian artist Scott Marsh, was painted on property of owned by Wilson Parking...
The Crime of Inciting Hatred in Australia
A leader of the far-right in Australia, Blair Cottrell, has failed in his appeal against a conviction for inciting hatred, contempt or ridicule against people of the Islamic faith. The offence In September 2017, Mr Cottrell, along with two other...
Lawyers Turn Their Backs on Legal Aid
Many of our state’s best criminal lawyers are refusing to take on legal aid cases, due to the poor rates on offer - which have remained the same for over a decade. The situation has been highlighted by a recent...
Police Are Failing to Act on Sexual Assault Complaints, Report Finds
A recent report by Queensland’s Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) has found that police are failing to properly record complaints of sexual assault and other forms of abuse. The CCC’s June 2019 audit found that Queensland police were facing an...
Lockout Laws Don’t Reduce Alcohol Consumption
A new study into the Queensland lockout laws have found that they have offered virtually no benefit in reducing violence or curbing dangerous alcohol consumption. Researchers from the University of Queensland, Griffith University and Queensland University of Technology studied the...
Press Stands United Against Authoritarianism
There is not much that the bosses of News Corp, the ABC and channel 9 would agree upon, representing different segments of the ideological spectrum. But as recently reported, they recently came together to jointly condemn laws which make reporting...
Australia Talks Tough on Khashoggi Killing
Australian foreign minister Marise Payne has labelled the alleged murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi inside the Saudi Arabian embassy in Istanbul as “outrageous” and says Australia will closely consider a recently released report into the incident before deciding whether to...
Peter Dutton’s Demonisation of Rape Victims is “An Absolute Disgrace”
Peter Dutton has been widely criticised for making unsubstantiated claims that sexual assault victims on Nauru were “trying it on” by seeking abortions in Australia. The Home Affairs Minister saw fit to demonise victims of heinous sexual crimes such as...
