Class Action Commenced Against Police Over Illegal Strip Searches
As festival goers battled through the mud, cold and rain on the New South Wales north coast this past weekend to see their favourite bands play at the Splendour in the Grass music Festival, news surfaced that a class action...
NSW Police Are Still Using Sniffer Dogs to Arrest Over Tiny Amounts of Cannabis
Scrolling through the Sniff Off Facebook page, it’s clear from recent posts warning as to the whereabouts of NSW police officers deployed with accompanying drug detecting labradors that this antiquated law enforcement practice is back in full swing. A joint venture...
NSW Police See In the New Year Having a Field Day Enforcing Antiquated Drug Laws
As COVID-19 cases soar to unprecedented levels statewide and testing measures are withdrawn to almost nonexistence, NSW police has decided it’s an opportune moment to, once again, start cracking down on locals just trying to have a good time. The NSW...
“Strip Searches Were Never Meant to Be Routine”: RLC’s Sam Lee on the Splendour Class Action
The protocols stipulating when police can carry out strip searches are set out in a piece of legislation commonly known as the LEPRA. Section 31 of this Act requires that when outside of a police station “the seriousness and urgency...
Strip-Searched Teen Loses Bid to Have Her Case Heard in All-Female Courtroom
An Indigenous girl who was 15 years old when strip-searched by police has lost her bid to have her case heard in an all-female courtroom. The girl’s lawyers made an application in Wagga Wagga Children’s Court for men, including the...
Lawyers Call For Drug Law Reform: An Interview With ALA’s Greg Barns
“The war on drugs has failed” is a common catchphrase these days. Ever-increasing numbers within the community are coming to realise that the great edifice of heavily enforced drug prohibition is more destructive on a societal and individual level than...
Reining in Police Powers: Shoebridge on His Drug Dog and Strip Search Bill
Over the last two years, unlucky commuters at Sydney’s Central Station have been confronted with NSW police officers accompanied by drug dogs. Deployed at peak hour, these officers have been equipped with screens, allowing them to strip search citizens if...
Berejiklian’s Drug Supply Regime Will Enhance Police Powers and Erode Individual Rights
Let’s face it, Gladys Berejiklian loves waging the war on drugs. When five young people died at NSW festivals over the summer of 2018/19, instead of implementing life-saving pill testing, she legislated for more ineffective prohibition laws, and attempted to...
Volunteer to Help Get Rid of Drug Dog Operations at Festivals: An Interview With Sniff Off
Back in the old days, when people held music festivals, it used to be a time of great merriment. Youths could freely turn up to such events, where they were assured of having a grand time, as they forgot about...
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...
