The Law on Assaulting Police
It’s a common scenario, known in the legal profession as ‘the trifecta of charges’: An individual is using offensive language in a public place. They are confronted by police who act in an overbearing and aggressive manner. The situation escalates...
Life Imprisonment for Persistent Child Sexual Abuse
In 2015, a range of reforms were introduced by the NSW government in response to community concerns that child sex offenders were being treated far too leniently by the courts, and that the interests of complainants weren’t being protected. These...
NSW Lawyer Struck Off and Prosecuted For Fraud
When applying to be admitted into the Australian legal profession, law graduates are required to undergo a character test to determine whether they are a “fit and proper person” to engage in legal practise. However, there are lawyers who -...
Buyers Beware: Non-Existent Tickets for Sale
A 33-year old man from Queensland has been charged with fraud after allegedly accepting online payments for tickets to singer Ed Sheeran’s recent concerts in Brisbane and Sydney, but never delivering them. The current charges relate to two complainants, with...
NSW Man Reports Theft of Cannabis to Police
Police in the Northern Rivers on the Far North Coast of NSW are considering whether to press charges against a man who reported his cannabis stash being stolen. Nimbin Police Station took the call from a local man who reported...
What Is Considered ‘Offensive’ Under NSW Criminal Law?
Offensive conduct is a frequently prosecuted crime in NSW. Section 4 of the Summary Offences Act 1988 provides that “a person must not conduct himself or herself in an offensive manner in or near, or within view or hearing from,...
Outrage Over French Sexual Assault Laws
A number of recent ‘age of consent cases’ in France have triggered public outrage and drawn international criticism of the somewhat murky child sex laws the nation has in place. In response, the Macron government is currently drafting a bill...
CBA Senior Financial Planner Avoids Prison for Fraud
“It was not a momentary lapse of judgment. It involved 18 clients and it breached his employer’s trust and the clients’ trust”, Queensland magistrate Cathy McLennan remarked when sentencing former CBA senior financial planner Ricky Gillespie for fraud. “It really...
Fraud Charges Dropped Against Woman Who Overdrew $4.6 Million
Fraud charges against a former Sydney University student who spent $4.6 million dollars after a Westpac banking error have been dropped. Christine Lee was charged with ‘dishonestly obtaining financial advantage by deception’ and ‘knowingly dealing with the proceeds of crime’...
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...
