Do Bouncers Need Better Training?
An inquest into the death of a man manhandled by bouncers at Crown Casino in Melbourne has given rise to the question of whether or not bouncers have enough training, and whether industry regulations are being adequately enforced. Anthony Dunning...
Who do you call when you need help? The police apologist’s mantra
“Who do you call when YOU need help?” It’s a question that often comes up when we write blogs highlighting misconduct, corruption or questionable incidents involving members of the police force. The reality is that police have an important role...
Can I Drop the AVO and Assault Charges Against My Partner?
It’s no secret that some people use Apprehended Violence Orders (AVOs) for purposes other than protecting themselves from violence. Nor is it a secret that many complaints of assault are exaggerated or completely unbased. Allegations of domestic violence are sometimes...
“Suicide by Cop” and the Growing Need for Police Mental Health Training
“Suicide by cop” It was a Sunday afternoon in San Francisco when 32-year-old Matthew Hoffman approached police officers and started asking questions about the weapons they were carrying. Later that evening, police noticed Hoffman loitering around a restricted parking lot...
Do Protective Services Officers Have Too Much Power?
If you’ve been on social media recently, you might have come across a video depicting Protective Services Officers (PSOs) allegedly assaulting a man at a Victorian train station. According to Moustafa Sayegh, he was approached by the PSOs whilst waiting...
Are Police Misusing their Power to Arrest?
One of our previous blogs discussed the case of a Sydney criminal lawyer who successfully sued the NSW police service after being wrongfully arrested on a train. There have been several other cases of wrongful arrest in NSW in recent...
Cowards Attack Muslim Women
No person should be assaulted while travelling to and from work on public transport, let alone a woman assaulted by a man. But for one Muslim woman, Hina, a routine train journey home from work quickly became a nightmare. Hina...
Battered Woman Syndrome: A Help or Hindrance?
Acting in self-defence is a well-known way to beat a murder charge. It is a complete defence, which means that a person charged with murder will be found not guilty of both murder and manslaughter if self defence is successfully...
Do We Need a Domestic Violence Register?
In the lead-up to the NSW state election, Premier Mike Baird has proposed a statewide domestic violence register to record the names of people who have previously been convicted of domestic violence offences. The Premier made the announcement at the...
Should a person ever be sterilised against their will?
If someone has an intellectual disability and could not take care of children, would it ever be justified to order their sterilisation? It’s a question that poses an ethical and moral dilemma; requiring a careful consideration of several competing interests....
