Two Die at Defqon 1, But NSW Government Still Refuses to Allow Pill Testing
Tragically, this year’s music festival season has begun with two suspected drug-related deaths at a festival in southwestern Sydney. And this incident is all the more appalling as these deaths could have potentially been prevented if the NSW government was...
Indictable Drug Supply Cases Can Now be Finalised in the Local Court
Until recently, cases of drug supply which involved more than the ‘indictable quantity’ but less than the commercial quantity could not be finalised in the NSW Local Court - they were ‘strictly indictable’ which meant they had to be committed to...
Australia Pioneered Drug Harm Reduction and Must Continue
Programs, strategies and policies designed to prevent or reduce the harms associated with the use of illicit substances are collectively known as harm reduction. This approach to drug use has been a key pillar of Australia’s National Drug Strategy since...
Challenging Abuse of Police Powers: An Interview With Greens MLC David Shoebridge
The NSW police use of drug detections dog in public places without a warrant has been widely discredited in the public eye. The damning NSW Ombudsman report into the program was released as far back as 2006. NSW Greens MLC David Shoebridge...
12 Reasons to Choose Sydney Criminal Lawyers®
Being prosecuted for a criminal or traffic offence can be a nerve-wracking experience. You may be unfamiliar with the process, unsure of the best way forward and concerned about the outcome. But whether you are charged with a less-serious matter...
Facing Prison for Providing Free Cannabis Medicine: An Interview with Jenny Hallam
The benefits of medicinal cannabis have been rediscovered over recent years. Clinical trials and research papers have documented evidence that shows cannabis medicines can treat conditions, such as chronic pain, seizures in children with Dravet syndrome and multiple sclerosis. In...
Defendant Appeals after Pleading Guilty Due to Incorrect Legal Advice
On the afternoon of 26 May 2015, Brett Ritchie was pulled over by police as he was driving down the Oxley Highway near Wauchope. The officers then arrested him due to outstanding warrants. Whilst standing next to the car, Mr...
The British Empire’s Opium Trade Led to the War on Drugs
In the mid-18th century, China was exporting large quantities of highly sought-after commodities to European countries, such as porcelain, silk, tea and spices. By contrast, the goods produced in Europe were of little interest to the Chinese. Under the Qing...
What are the Penalties for Steroids in NSW?
Before 2014, the possession of drugs classified as anabolic steroids was primarily regulated by the Poisons and Therapeutic Goods Act 1966, which dealt with the substances in much the same way as other prescription drugs. However in 2014, the NSW...
Neville Wran’s Daughter Received Lower Sentence Due to Media Attention
A little after 7 pm on 10 August 2014, Brett Fitzgerald opened the door to his ground floor unit at a public housing complex in Redfern, where he lived with Daniel McNulty. It was known by some in the local...
