Contract Killings: Arranging Murders for Vengeance, or Political, Social or Financial Gain
This article will discuss the evolution and use of a specific category of the offence of murder known as contract killings, also known as arranged or paid assassinations. We will take you through several examples of these offences throughout history, their...
There’s a Dire Need for a National Forensic Science Authority
Sue Neill-Fraser is currently living in the Tasmanian community under strict parole condtions, including having to wear an ankle bracelet, which will continue on for another decade, in relation to the murder of her de facto partner Bob Chappell on...
Honour Killings: Committing Murder to Restore Reputation
If ever the label attached a crime is a misnomer, perhaps it is the offence of ‘honour killing’. This category of murder is where a person intentionally kills another to protect and/or restore the dignity and repute held hitherto for someone...
What is the Mental Element of Murder in New South Wales?
Colombian student Hector Enrique Valencia was initially charged with murder over the killing of Kimberley McRae in her Coogee apartment in January 2020, as well as the alternative charge of manslaughter. The 23-year old pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the...
Should Parents Who Unintentionally Leave Children to Die in Hot Cars Be Charged with Involuntary Manslaughter?
A Sydney man won’t be charged over the death of his 3-year old son who he left in a hot, closed car all day. While social media has gone into overdrive with its typical judgemental comments, some might argue that...
What Is Voluntary Manslaughter?
In 2010, a street-based sex worker named Patricia Mary Butler was solicited by a client named Brendan Potter on the corner of Bourke and William street. After performing sexual acts on Mr Potter in Rushcutters Bay Park, both parties went...
The Offence of Involuntary Manslaughter Under New South Wales Law
Hollywood movie star Alec Baldwin has been charged with involuntary manslaughter over the death of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the set of the upcoming movie Rust. Hutchins was killed when Baldwin fired a pistol during rehearsals believing the weapon to...
What is the Difference Between First, Second and Third Degree Murder?
Unlawful killings in Australia are divided into two broad categories: Murder, which is a person kills another with the intention to kill or inflict grievous bodily harm, or with reckless indifference to human life, or during or immediately after the...
The History of Murder: The Most Serious Offence in Criminal Law
Since the beginning of recorded law, the offence of murder has been seen as the most serious of crimes, with the intentional taking of another’s life considered at least as heinous than any other human act. Despite how seriously it...
Infamous Backpacker Murderer Charles Sobhraj Released from Prison
Serial killer Charles Sobhraj was deported from Nepal to France on 23 December 2022, after being released early from prison on health grounds by order of the Supreme Court. The notorious figure is believed to have killed at least 20 backpackers...
