Australian Police Don’t Take Hate Crime Seriously
It has been reported that of the thousands of hate crimes recorded in police statistics across the nation each year, only a very small proportion are ever prosecuted. Recent findings Data released by Victoria Police suggests that, on average, three...
Dismissal of NSW Police Officer for Suspected Cocaine Use Was Unlawful
The NSW Police Force has lost an unfair dismissal case in the state’s Industrial Relations Commission (IRC), after it was found that an allegation of cocaine use is not sufficient to terminate an officer’s employment. Background The officer was dismissed...
Woman Are Less Likely to Support Cannabis Legalisation Than Men
Community attitudes towards the legalisation of cannabis have shifted in recent years, with more and more people calling for marijuana to be legalised in Australia. However, research by North Carolina State University has suggested that women are less likely than...
The Law on Making a False Declaration
Former One Nation Senator Rod Culleton has been referred to police over allegations he made a false declaration in his candidacy nomination for the upcoming federal election. The Australian Electoral Commission (AEC) has specifically requested that police investigate whether Mr...
More Police Does Not Lead to Less Crime
New research undertaken by the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR) has added weight to the argument that increasing the number of police officers does not lead to a reduction in crime. The study BOCSAR researched the impact...
PM Promises Prison for Animal Rights Activists
Prime Minister Scott Morrison has reacted to a recent anti-meat protest by promising prison terms of up to 12 months for activists who publish information about farmers who are allegedly cruel towards their animals. A protest on Monday saw disruptions...
High Court Rules that Abortion Safe-Zones are Constitutional
Two anti-abortion activists have lost their appeals against Victorian and Tasmanian laws which prohibit protesting near abortion clinics. Kathleen Clubb and Graham Preston appealed against laws which establish safe-zones near abortion clinics. The conduct of the appellants was holding placards...
Study Finds that the Recollection of Eyewitnesses Can be Enhanced
Eyewitness testimony which includes an identification is a notoriously unreliable form of evidence, with a range of factors impacting upon the quality of observation and recollection of events. However, an Australian researcher suggests there may be a way to make...
Muslims Are the Main Targets of Hate Crimes in NSW
A recent study by the Sydney Institute of Criminology (SIC) has found that the overwhelming majority of religiously motivated hate crime in New South Wales is perpetrated against Muslim people. The SIC’s Professor Gail Mason made the finding by looking...
Use of Defence Lawyer As Informant Labelled ‘Negligence in the Highest Order’
The failure of Victoria Police to obtain legal advice before persuading and paying a criminal defence barrister to inform on her own clients was labelled in a 2015 report by the Independent Broad-based Anti-Corruption Commission (IBAC) as ‘negligence in the...
