Hundreds of thousands of Australians are summonsed for jury service each year. It is an important civic duty which is vital to the administration of our criminal justice system. But research suggests that for most who are empanelled, the experience can be stressful and even cause lasting trauma. Juror Stress According to Paula Agor, director… Read more »
The remaining council merger plans of the the NSW government have been thrown into question after the NSW Supreme Court ruled that the process did not accord with procedural fairness. The Ku-ring-gai council has won its appeal against a proposed merger with Hornsby Council, with the court criticising the secrecy of the process. The ruling casts… Read more »
One Nation senator Rod Culleton was defiant when he recently chose to represent himself in the High Court of Australia. Mr Culleton is reported to have used his court appearance to air “all the grievances” he had with the federal government. In a sign of things to come, Culleton said he refused legal aid on… Read more »
The High Court has refused to overturn the controversial principle of extended joint criminal enterprise (EJCE) in the recent criminal case of Miller vs The Queen. The Court had the chance to remove or at least amend the principle to fall in line with the recent UK case of R v Jogee, where it was… Read more »
An English backpacker is suing the NSW Police force after he was assaulted by a drunk, off-duty officer and his mates in Sydney’s CBD. Liam Monte alleges he was the victim of police brutality by a heavily intoxicated police constable and his friends following an incident at McDonalds, where a bus driver and other independent… Read more »
With a growing understanding of genetic influences on behaviour and personality, researchers suggest that neuroscience should be highly relevant in the criminal justice process. Neuroscientist David Eagleman argues that less emphasis should be placed upon punishing offenders with brain imbalances, and that neurobiology should be used to manage criminality generally. Justifications for Sentencing Section 3A… Read more »
As the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse continues, several proposals for protecting children against future abuse have already been discussed, including changes in how the law treats complaints made years or decades after an alleged sexual assault. This blog looks at the criminal justice system’s treatment of delayed complaint, and whether… Read more »