Police Shooting Victim is Stripped of Compensation
His story might sound like something out of a nightmare, but for Justin McMaster, it’s a harsh reality. In the early hours of September 26, 2011, the then-19-year-old was sleeping with his family at home in Colyton in Sydney’s west,...
Should Courts Remain Open to the Public?
Many people are surprised to find out that anyone can walk into a courtroom and watch criminal proceedings. Subject to certain exceptions - including cases involving child defendants and parts of sexual assault cases – courts are open to anyone...
Government Backs the Border Force Act
We recently wrote a blog about new laws which just entered into force this month, under the Australian Border Force Act 2015. Since the Act came into force this month, teachers, medical professionals and others working in detention centres could...
Cardinal George Pell to Face the Music
Allegations that Cardinal George Pell tried to cover up abuse by bribing a victim to keep quiet have once more been thrust into the spotlight at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Cardinal Pell has strongly...
You’re My Lawyer: Can You Downgrade My Charges?
If you are charged with a criminal offence, you will probably want the case to be over with as soon as possible, rather than having it drag out from court-date to court-date until it eventually reaches a defended hearing or...
Incriminating Yourself On TV, Radio or Social Media
There were shock-waves across America recently when millionaire Robert Durst appeared in a top-rating documentary about his life, including three murders he is accused of committing. During the final episode of the documentary series The Jinx, Durst - apparently unaware...
Nothing to Hide but Everything to Fear – Part 2 of our Special Series on the New Metadata Laws
Yesterday, we published part 1 of our two-part blog series about the Federal Government’s proposed meta-data retention laws which are now very close to being passed. The laws have been championed by Federal Attorney-General George Brandis as a key tool...
Do Criminal Cases Take Too Long?
It’s no secret that court processes are often lengthy and expensive, and if you wish to plead ‘not guilty’ to a criminal offence it can be many months or even a year or two before your matter is set down...
Can I be forced to testify against my family?
Receiving a subpoena to appear as a witness in court can be daunting. The experience can be even more stressful if you are called to testify against your loved-one. But there are laws that restrict the prosecution’s ability to force...
“Innocent until Presented in a Glass Cage” – How the use of Docks can affect the Presumption of Innocence
‘Innocent until proven guilty’ is an ancient legal maxim, however research shows that this may not always be the case. In most criminal trials, the person who is ‘accused’ is held in a ‘dock’ - an enclosed area from which...
