“An Act of Negligence”: An Interview With COVID Prison Watch’s Miranda Gibson
The NSW government passed a suite of emergency laws on 24 March, just as it was about to close parliament for the duration of the COVID-19 pandemic. And amongst the extraordinary measures that were set in play, were provisions that...
The Law on Observing, Filming and Distributing Intimate Images in NSW
Isolation can be lonely, so it’s only natural that many of us will be reaching out in intimate ways via text and video-calls whilst we are cooped up indoors. But ‘sexting’ in the time of COVID-19 comes with certain risks...
All Local Court Bail Applications to Be Heard in the Downing Centre
The past few weeks have seen drastic changes to the way in which criminal cases are dealt with in the Children’s, Local, District and Supreme Courts. On 2 April 2020, the Chief Magistrate of New South Wales, Judge Graeme Henson,...
Defendant Granted Bail Due to Coronavirus Concerns
As the COVID-19 epidemic unfolds, it’s having a substantial impact on the Australian criminal justice system, from the Local Court all the way up to the High Court of Australia. NSW District Court Chief Judge Derek Price announced on 30...
How Is Coronavirus Relevant to a Bail Application?
Bail is a promise to attend court while you are waiting for a charge to be dealt with by the courts, instead of being held behind bars on remand. For less serious charges the promise may be enough and bail...
Do I Need To Attend My Local Court Case During The Coronavirus Pandemic?
The Chief Magistrate of the NSW Local Court, Judge Graeme Henson, has made announcements about changes the court will implement from Monday, 30 March 2020 in response to the Covid-19 (Coronavirus) Pandemic. These changes are aimed at managing the thousands...
Imprisoning the Innocent: The Causes of Wrongful Convictions in Australia
‘It is better that ten guilty persons escape than that one innocent suffer’. These words of 18th century English jurist William Blackstone resonate just as loudly today as they did back then in relation to the magnitude of the injustice...
From One Prison to Another: Medevac Detainees Face Uncertain Future
More than 40 men are being detained in a hotel in Melbourne’s northern suburbs, in what might as well be called ‘no man’s land’. Evacuated from Papua New Guinea under the previous medevac transfer system, they are now stuck in...
How Can I Get a Pro Bono Lawyer in New South Wales?
The Law Council of Australia warned in July that legal aid funding is at “breaking point”, following a high-profile murder trial in NSW having to be postponed because of the deplorably low pay rates that simply weren’t attracting barristers that...
Section 32 Mental Health Applications: A Psychiatrist’s Report is Not Necessary
Joseph Perdicaro was charged with two criminal offences on 6 April 2018. The first was stalking or intimidation with intent to cause physical or mental harm under section 13 of the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 (NSW). This...
