Posts Categorized: Criminal Law

M’Naghten: The Man Behind the Insanity Defence

Head of a human

The M’Naghten case is well-known within criminal law and probably one of the most influential judgments when it comes to criminal insanity. Although originating in England, the case has been discussed and applied in courts all over the world; from some US states to Tanzania, Norway, India and, of course, here in Australia. But while… Read more »

What Happens If I Don’t Attend Court?

Court in Sydney

Imagine it’s the day of the court hearing or jury trial and the defendant is nowhere to be found. Or perhaps the proceedings have already started, but the defendant does a ‘runner’ or behaves in such a way that the case cannot keep going with him or her there. In these situations, the court must… Read more »

Daughter Charged after Mummified Body Discovered

Handcuffs made in China

A Coronial Inquest into the tragic death of 83-year-old Noreen Peacock has reached a conclusion, with Magistrate Sharon Freund delivering her findings. Ms Freund’s report details the “extraordinarily sad case” of an elderly woman who died after battling dementia, and the impact of the situation on her daughter, Melissa, who was her sole carer. Background… Read more »

Six things that used to be offences

Pedestrian at night

Community standards are constantly changing – and so are our laws. Taking a trip back through the last century reveals some interesting changes that have taken place within our criminal justice system. Here are six things that used to be crimes in Australia: 1. Gay sex It’s crazy to think that it was just 1997… Read more »

Causation in Murder Cases: Thabo Meli v The Queen

Chalk outline of a murder

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 »