One South Australian man, Trevor Johnson, fought unfair charges of hindering police in court and won. He had been arrested and taken to the local police station after he tried to stop a police officer from inspecting his car for faults. Mr Johnson argued with police, believing they had wrongfully targeted him. He then locked… Read more »
Our criminal justice system relies on the majority of defendants pleading guilty in order to avoid an enormous backlog of cases. But did you know that over half of all defendants plead guilty early on, and a further 28 per cent of end up pleading guilty at a later stage in their criminal proceedings? Only… Read more »
There are thousands-upon-thousands of types of criminal offences in NSW, and it is unlikely that there are many of us that haven’t committed a crime at some point in our lives. Many of us may have received a parking or speeding ticket, but not all offences are classified as ‘criminal’ and will lead to a… Read more »
If you are going to court for the first time, it is a good idea to arrive in court well before your case is scheduled Some courthouses like the Downing Centre are large complexes with much more to them than a couple of courtrooms. The Downing Centre has many levels of courtroom. It also has… Read more »
You might be wondering, what is a DUI and how is it different to a PCA offence? DUI is also known as driving under the influence of any alcohol or other drug. It is a charge that may be brought where there was no valid breath test to confirm a particular blood alcohol concentration. This… Read more »
In general, courts are open to the public to attend, but filming in the court was strictly forbidden without express court permission. There has been the odd example of filming in court – like Gordon Wood’s successful appeal when his murder conviction was overturned in front of the camera. Examples have, however, been few and… Read more »
If you have ever been lost in a foreign country where you don’t speak the language, you probably felt a bit lost and anxious. It is quite clear that being unable to speak the language in a stressful environment can be a very difficult experience. Being in a police station or courtroom and not being… Read more »
From the time that an alleged offence was committed, right up to the time it is finalised in court, considerable time may have passed. This may be months or even years in the lengthier cases. The different stages that a case goes through from start to finish is poorly understood and somewhat complex. Each case… Read more »
While road rage is something we may all internally battle, one lawyer certainly didn’t manage to contain his anger after running straight into a motorcycle rider. The rider, 28-year-old Alex Chapman, had only been on his L-plates for less than one week. He was riding along the Pacific Highway when hit from behind by Murray… Read more »
Since its introduction just a few months ago, the new NSW Bail Act 2013 has caused controversy and criticism throughout NSW. The controversy has centred on concerns that the new act is too lenient towards suspects, and media reports about ‘dangerous criminals’ being let out of prison. The provisions of the current Bail Act were… Read more »
