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 »
If you are granted bail in NSW, you or an “acceptable person” who has known you for some time may need to deposit an amount of money before you can be released. The bail money is called “security” and the person who puts up the money is called the “surety”. Alternatively, you or a surety… Read more »
Applicants are accusing Judge Alexander ‘Sandy’ Street of the Federal Circuit Court of apprehended bias when hearing migration matters. In a highly unusual move, applicants have filed statistics showing that Judge Street found in favour of the Immigration Department in 252 out of 254 cases over the last 6 months. This meant that he found… Read more »
A man who refused to take an oath or affirmation in the NSW Supreme Court was sentenced to three years in prison. He was found guilty of two counts of contempt of court, one for refusing to give sworn evidence and a second for threatening violence against an officer of the court. When someone is… Read more »
Have you received a speeding ticket you didn’t deserve? If so, was it from a hand-held speed-detector? Drivers like you could be in luck, depending on the outcome of one case currently going through the Downing Centre Local Court. The case could cast doubt on the validity of speeding tickets, thanks to a technical argument… Read more »
Giving testimony in court can be a confronting experience – especially for children and other vulnerable witnesses. But a US-based organisation has come up with an innovative way of supporting reluctant and frightened witnesses in the courtroom. What is ‘Courthouse Dogs’? Courthouse Dogs is an organisation that was established in Washington State in 2012 by… Read more »
It’s been a subject of some debate over the years – should a person who has a serious criminal conviction be allowed to practise law? Professional misconduct can certainly lead to a lawyer being ‘struck off’, never to practise again – but what about when crimes were committed before trying to become a lawyer? Some… Read more »
You might be aware of the heavy delays facing the criminal justice system in New South Wales, with the District Court alone reporting a backlog of almost 2,000 trials. To ease this burden, the state Attorney-General Gabrielle Upton recently announced the appointment of two new District Court judges, who will specialise in hearing child sexual… Read more »
It won’t be news to many criminal lawyers, but the New South Wales Law Reform Commission has warned that NSW courts are in “crisis.” With growing case-loads, increasing delays and decreasing numbers of magistrates, judges and court staff, it’s clear that there is a significant amount of pressure is being placed upon the NSW court… Read more »