CCTV cameras seem to be everywhere these days – in the streets, on public transport, in pubs, clubs and even restaurants and take-away stores. When public safety is weighed up against privacy, finding a compromise can be difficult. But what if CCTV footage is not all that it is cracked up to be? The NSW… Read more »
During the recent ‘anti-terror raids’, one Western Sydney family awoke at 4.30am to the sound of their door being smashed down and several state and federal police in balaclavas swarming their house. None of the family members were charged with any crimes in the aftermath of the raids that ransacked 16 homes, yet led to… Read more »
Police are not allowed to keep you under arrest without charge indefinitely. Unless you are suspected of terrorism, they can only keep you under arrest for six hours before they either charge you with an offence or release you from custody, unless an extension is granted by a detention warrant. A detention warrant can extend… Read more »
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 »
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 »
The right to silence has been watered-down in recent times and it has been suggested that there are situations when exercising your right to silence might now be against your interests when it previously may not. To discuss this issue, let’s look at the changes. In 2013, an addition to the NSW Evidence Act meant… Read more »
The offender, Mahmoud Mariam, seemed to show little remorse when he was originally sentenced to at least five years and nine months behind bars in 2012. The son of Mr Knight couldn’t believe the cheering when the verdicts were handed down. He predicted that this would not be the last person to get shot in… Read more »
Despite robbery rates remaining stable throughout NSW over the past year, this has not been the case for one unfortunate sports club in the Blue Mountains, which was robbed once in the 90s, in 2001 and then again in 2013. The most recent case was finalised in the Parramatta District Court last month. The culprits,… Read more »