Centrelink’s Release of Critic’s Personal Information May Be a Crime
A prominent barrister believes the federal human services minister or one of his staff may have committed a crime by releasing a Centrelink client’s personal information. Robert Richter QC was commissioned by the federal Labor party to provide advice on...
NSW Crimes Rates are the Lowest in 40 Years
Crime rates across NSW have dropped to their lowest in 40 years. The latest annual report by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) has found that most major categories of crime have fallen or remained steady over...
Turnbull to Cut Funding to Community Legal Centres
Already in Australia, over 45,000 people per year are left to represent themselves in court - often against a well-resourced and professional prosecution. It is a situation that leaves thousands vulnerable to injustice. Now, the Commonwealth government plans to drastically...
Indigenous Incarceration: Australia’s Shame
Indigenous Australians are reported to be the most imprisoned race in the world, and the situation is only getting worse. The proportion of Indigenous inmates in NSW prisons has risen by 35% since the Coalition government came to power in...
Should Publishing ‘Fake News’ be a Crime?
The Australian Constitution explicitly guarantees just five rights: The right to vote (Section 41), Protection against acquisition of property on unjust terms (Section 51 (xxxi)), The right to a trial by jury for criminal cases in the higher courts (Section 80), Freedom...
State of Origin Star Sues NRL Over Head Injuries
Former NSW State of Origin winger James McManus is taking legal action against the Newcastle Knights over the club’s handling of his concussions, in a landmark case that could have significant ramifications for Australian sport. McManus played 166 NRL games...
Archbishops Slam Catholic Church for Covering-Up Widespread Child Sexual Abuse
Five of Australia’s most senior Catholic figures fronted the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Sexual Abuse, all of whom condemned the Church’s failure to protect vulnerable children. The archbishops of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth were questioned about how...
Not In My Back Yard – Residents Protest Against Youth Detention Centre
Thousands of residents have protested in Melbourne’s west against the Victorian government’s proposal to build a new youth detention centre at Werribee South. The protest Members of the public were previously encouraged to send an email every day to Premier...
The President’s Role in Shaping Crime Policy
The election of Donald Trump came at a time of widespread dissatisfaction with traditional politics and discontent with the perceived direction of the nation when it comes to both domestic and international policies, including criminal justice. The tension between the...
Lawyers Call for Criminal Charges Against Australian Government
In a petition to the International Criminal Court (ICC), the Global Legal Action Network (GLAN) and the Stanford International Human Rights Clinic have described the “harrowing practices of the Australian state and corporations towards asylum seekers” as a crime against...
