How Should We Tackle Crime in Public Housing?
Drug dealing, domestic violence, malicious damage – public housing estates have always had a reputation for being hotspots for criminal activity, and over the years a multitude of proposals have been implemented in an attempt to address these issues, with...
Drug Scandal Rocks Football World – Players Stood Down
If you’re a Gold Coast NRL fan, you may have been disappointed to hear that five Titans players were recently stood down from the club following allegations that they were involved in the supply and possession of cocaine. Players Greg...
Are Proceeds of Crime Laws Unfair?
We have penned a number of blogs over the years about proceeds of crime laws and the applicable penalties. Under section 193C of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW), it is a criminal offence to possess or deal with property that...
Deaths from Drug Overdoses – Should Drug Suppliers be held Accountable?
We recently published a blog about the “A State of Trance” music festival in Sydney, where a 19-year-old man tragically lost his life from a suspected drug overdose. As with many of our blogs, the post sparked a lively discussion...
The Protection of Police Informants and Prison Inmates: New Information Surrounding the Death of Carl Williams
If you’ve ever seen the hit TV series Underbelly or followed Melbourne’s notorious gangland killings, the name ‘Carl Williams’ might ring a bell. Williams was an underworld drug trafficker who was known to have a long-running feud with fellow drug...
Mastermind Behind Silk Road Convicted on All Charges
American web developer Ross Ulbricht was this week convicted on seven Federal charges, including trafficking drugs on the internet, computer hacking and money laundering. Following a three-week long trial, a jury found that the 30-year-old had planned, created and run...
Inexplicable Incompetence or Pure Stupidity? How Dennis got Disbarred
When retaining a lawyer to represent you in court, you’d expect them to fight hard to protect your rights - especially if they are charging you an arm and a leg to defend your innocence. The vast majority of lawyers...
The zero-tolerance approach: do we really need to get ‘tough on crime’?
In 1989, President Bush proclaimed “The rules have changed: if you sell drugs, you will be caught, and when you’re caught, you will be prosecuted; and once you’re convicted, you will do time.” Many have declared the “war on drugs”...
Legalisation of Cannabis Moves Closer
The campaign to legalise cannabis for medical purposes has taken an unexpected leap forward with support from the prime minister, and a clinical trial to go ahead in NSW. Prime Minister Tony Abbott wrote a letter to well known talkback...
Will Australia ever ban cigarettes?
The tobacco industry has millions of dollars to invest in marketing and lobbying, and increasingly tough government measures are forcing cigarette companies to be inventive to stay in the market. The Daily Telegraph recently reported that one cigarette brand, British...
