Fu@#en Hell! … Can I be fined for swearing?
Police have an enormous amount of discretion when it comes to fining or sending people to court for swearing – as long as: the language would be considered offensive by a ‘reasonable person’, is uttered in a public place (including the...
What You Shouldn’t Do in a Public Place
The silly season is upon us - and for most of us, the holiday period is marked by festivities and celebrations with family and friends. It is an especially busy period for police across Australia, who will charge thousands of...
Anti-Islam Rally a Fizzer
Last weekend marked the 10th anniversary of the Cronulla Riots - an incident which involved “a drug- and alcohol-fuelled group of approximately 5,000 mostly young people, draped in Australian flags, gather[ing] at Cronulla Beach and carr[ying] out vicious assaults on...
Muslim Australians Increasingly Victimised
Australia is meant to be a multicultural, accepting and inclusive country, but recent events suggest that a minority of Australians are anything but welcoming of other cultures. In the wake of a series of terrorist attacks perpetrated by violent extremists,...
Man Charged Over Offensive Facebook Posts
The digital age has given our generation a range of benefits - it is easier than ever to gather information and views about almost any topic, to share data and, of course, to find and communicate with people around the...
NRL’s Fifita Brothers in Hot Water
Footy players are increasingly in the media for their behaviour off-the-field, and not just their contributions to schools and the community. Cronulla players Andrew and David Fifita are under investigation after a weekend game where it is alleged that they...
Dawn Fraser: Was She Out of Line?
Dawn Fraser has been lauded as Australia’s greatest Olympian, having won an incredible 8 Olympic medals and 6 Commonwealth Games gold medals. Her achievements have landed her a special spot in the hearts of Australians around the nation, many of...
Police to Breathalyse Patrons Inside Clubs
Queensland: Home to some of Australia’s most picturesque beaches and natural reefs, it’s a popular holiday destination for tourists looking to relax and unwind. And towards the end of the year, the Sunshine State is the preferred party destination for...
Is Being Aggressive Illegal?
An Australian man flying home from Chile last October had an unexpected layover in New Zealand after he was charged with indecent assault and threatening to kill over allegedly becoming drunk and aggressive towards flight staff. While Qantas has a...
Verbal abuse of sheep: Has the world gone mad?
It was a news story that swept the world, with pun headlines to match. ABC Rural published a story about alleged verbal abuse of sheep, raising the question of whether sheep could understand English. It reported that the activist group...
