The Criminal Justice System’s Failure to Deal with Mental Health
Positive mental health is important to maintain a balanced and healthy lifestyle, which can in turn lead to positive social, economic and physical health outcomes as well as reduce the likelihood of criminal offending. But sadly, mental health issues continue...
Appeals to the District Court Against Local Court Convictions in NSW
A former NRL player who went on to become a professional boxer has successfully appealed his conviction over allegations of breaking and entering, with the appeal court finding ‘suspicion is no substitute for proof’. In the Local Court A magistrate...
What Factors Are Considered When Determining Whether to Pursue a Retrial in NSW?
Former NRL star Jaryd Hayne walked from prison a free man last week, after having his convictions for sexual assault offences quashed on appeal. His fight for his freedom and reputation has been drawn out and complex, and the Office...
Parliament Finds Policing Mental Health Crises Is Deadly, But Major Parties Resist Reform
A carer recently explained in a submission to the NSW mental health access parliamentary inquiry, that on calling NSW police to a crises her mental health patient was having, eight officers arrived, who appeared to have no understanding of such...
NSW Police Watchdog to Review Lawfulness of Bail Compliance Checks
After a person is arrested and charged with a criminal offence in New South Wales, police will decide whether the defendant will be released on bail from the police station, or remanded in custody to face a bail application in...
NSW Government’s Youth Incarceration Drive Lacks Vision or “Any Deep Sense of Justice”
“No one wants to be in the situation where we are locking up young people,” NSW premier Chris Minns told Sunrise on 18 March 2024, just days after his government’s new tough-on-youth-crime laws were introduced into state parliament, and the...
Bail Applications in NSW: Showing Cause and the Unacceptable Risk Test
Much has been made recently by the mainstream media about the supposed ease by which those facing allegations of domestic violence offences are granted bail and released into the community. But the fact of the matter is that New South...
The Involuntary Drug and Alcohol Treatment Program in NSW
Dealing with a loved one who is dependent on alcohol or other drugs, and suffering from associated symptoms, can be a difficult and heartbreaking experience. And while it is always before those those who are severely dependent on substances to...
Can I Get a Harsher Penalty if I Appeal a Decision in NSW?
If you’re disappointed by an outcome of a criminal case in court, or you’ve received a hefty penalty notice for a traffic or minor criminal offence, you may be tempted to appeal a decision or, in the case of a...
When Can a Judicial Inquiry Be Held Into a Potential Wrongful Conviction in NSW?
Last year, New South Wales woman Kathleen Folbigg was pardoned and her convictions were later quashed after a public inquiry found that the science used to convict her of murdering three of her four infants was deeply flawed. However, Folbigg’s...
