The courtroom can be a stressful place, especially for defendants who are facing serious criminal charges. And being on the wrong end of a bad decision can be extremely frustrating and testing. But while simply being upset is not an offence, letting your feelings out by swearing at a magistrate or judge certainly can be…. Read more »
If you planned on killing someone and they ended up dying, but not directly as a result of your actions, are you still guilty of murder? This question was explored in the famous case case of Thabo Meli v The Queen (1954) which took place in ‘Basutoland’, a former British colony in South Africa. The… Read more »
The NSW Criminal Court of Appeal (NSWCCA) recently ruled that the evidence obtained unlawfully by a police officer was admissible in court, because the seriousness of the case and importance of the evidence outweighed the degree of his illegal conduct. The Unlawful Search On the 5th of March 2012, Officer Hembrow entered a property to… Read more »
It’s no secret that courtrooms around the nation are filled to capacity, with lawyers and their clients frustrated by long delays in the justice system. The juvenile system is no exception, with Children’s Courts at Glebe and Parramatta stretched to the limit. But it is hoped that the opening of a new inner-city Children’s Court… Read more »
It would be nice to trust police to carry out their investigations in a fair manner, but what if the methods they use to get the answers they want are fundamentally flawed? A new study by two forensic psychologists has found that – through unfair interviewing methods – police are able to plant false memories… Read more »
Negligent driving is one of the most common major traffic offences in Australia, behind drink driving. Combining the two can lead to horrific consequences. In one tragic case, an intoxicated P-plater caused the death of his best friend and inflicted severe brain damage upon another passenger when he veered off the road and collided with… Read more »
Random breath-testing is something we have come to accept as an inevitable part of driving, but where do police powers end? Many people believe that if police saw you driving, they have the right to give you a breath test anywhere, but this is a myth. Simply being on private property is not enough to… Read more »
A 36-year-old Perth man is a tragic casualty of a citizen’s arrest gone wrong. The man was allegedly breaking into cars before a group of men spotted him. He ran away but they caught up with him near the Hyde Park Hotel, where he began having convulsions during the struggle. He was held by the… Read more »
Unless you frequently mix in legal circles, you may not be aware of the rumours, controversy and drama surrounding the process of appointing barristers into the elite group of “Senior Counsel”, also known as SCs or silks. This year, just 26 out of 113 experienced barristers were successful in receiving the title. Only a select… Read more »
With Australia listing the threat of terrorism as “high”, governments continue to spend heavily on national security. In the latest move, NSW Attorney-General Gabrielle Upton has announced that $5.2 million will be spent to step-up security in NSW Courts by hiring 40 new sheriffs officers. Upton stated that:“The safety of those who work at or… Read more »
