Being hauled down to the police station to be charged and interviewed can be a highly stressful experience. If police have decided not to charge you on the spot, they can still send you a Future Court Attendance Notice (CAN) in the mail. That document will contain a description of the charges being pressed against… Read more »
Victims in criminal cases, or their family members, often want their voices to be heard in the courtroom – to let the defendant, the court and the community know about the impact of the offending conduct. In some circumstances, they will be given an opportunity to do so during sentencing proceedings through what’s known as… Read more »
In NSW, all drink driving cases are serious, and even low range drink driving penalties mean that you could end up before a magistrate facing a range of potential penalties. Drink driving is a factor in one out of every five fatal crashes according to the RMS, and costs the community millions of dollars every year…. Read more »
When applying for a job, you might feel the temptation to ‘embellish’ your CV a little, in order to make your accomplishments and work history look a bit more impressive. While we all know that dishonesty is wrong and could be risky if you got found out, you may have never thought that it could… Read more »
Alleged terrorist plots in Australia have resulted in a backlash against the Muslim community. This backlash has bolstered calls to bring-in the government’s proposed ‘anti-terrorism laws’ and to ‘ban the burqa’. Earlier this month, two women wearing hijabs – a mother and daughter – were stuck in traffic at around 7pm when a 27 year… Read more »
CCTV cameras seem to be everywhere these days – in the streets, on public transport, in pubs, clubs and even restaurants and take-away stores. When public safety is weighed up against privacy, finding a compromise can be difficult. But what if CCTV footage is not all that it is cracked up to be? The NSW… Read more »
During the recent ‘anti-terror raids’, one Western Sydney family awoke at 4.30am to the sound of their door being smashed down and several state and federal police in balaclavas swarming their house. None of the family members were charged with any crimes in the aftermath of the raids that ransacked 16 homes, yet led to… Read more »
Some may feel resentful that we have unelected official who appeared to be generously paid and difficult to remove, but there are good reasons why the salaries of judges and magistrates are higher than those of many other public sector employees. Newspapers and other media outlets often criticise judicial decisions, especially if they feel that… Read more »
Police are not allowed to keep you under arrest without charge indefinitely. Unless you are suspected of terrorism, they can only keep you under arrest for six hours before they either charge you with an offence or release you from custody, unless an extension is granted by a detention warrant. A detention warrant can extend… Read more »
In recent years, the growing dangers of using a mobile phone while driving have led to media campaigns to ‘get your hand off it!’. While tougher penalties were put in place to act as a deterrent, the enforcement of those laws has proved to be a problem as it relies heavily on police being able… Read more »
