Could you spot a counterfeit banknote? Although there is a growing presence of alternative methods of payments, cash continues to be commonly used in transactions. Unfortunately, the widespread use of cash provides motive to criminals who manufacture counterfeit money. A routine breath test by police, led to a car search which uncovered a badly counterfeited… Read more »
Underlying problems like drug and alcohol addiction, as well as particular problems faced by Aboriginal offenders, mean that various alternative programs are now supplementing more traditional methods of sentencing in NSW Courts. These sentencing alternatives focus on community involvement, rehabilitation or even, in the case of forum sentencing, discussions between victim and offender as part… Read more »
Courts don’t take drink driving lightly. Over one in eight deaths of Australians under the age of 25 is due to drink driving. Police have conducted millions of breath tests since the scheme was first introduced over 30 years ago. The cost to individuals and the wider community is huge, so if you have been… Read more »
Fraud is on the rise. Its perpetrators include anyone from members of parliament to bikie gangs who team up with rivals to perpetuate fraud. Earlier this year, cold-callers from call-centres were used to swindle over one million dollars from Australians. The police uncovered the fraudulent operation, run by bikies who were using call centres as… Read more »
Many of us have received a scare email-chain story, threatening bad luck or even death to those who refuse to send the message on. The idea of a ‘pin prick’ attack, where victims were deliberately infected with needles and syringes containing HIV are relatively rare and seem to belong mainly to this world of chain… Read more »
Like father, like son is certainly not something that could be said about the Macris Family in relation to serious drug charges when they appeared in the Gosford District Court earlier this May. In 2011, the son, Alex Macris did something many people would find unimaginable – he used his own father as an unwitting… Read more »
Contempt of court refers to a particular type of behaviour defined as anything which interferes with or impedes the administration of justice, or undermine the authority, dignity or performance of the court. If you have been following the trial of Hey Dad! actor Robert Hughes, being heard at the Downing Centre District Court, you may… Read more »
A 57-year-old former Blue Mountains nursing home worker has been charged with six counts of indecent assault in nursing homes. He was fired after the facility management received complaints from seven elderly women between 2011 and 2014. The Daily Telegraph reported that seven elderly women had complained about the man for offences that allegedly took… Read more »
In Medieval England, people were subjected to all kinds of trials to prove their innocence – one of these involved being forced to pick a stone up from the bottom of an elbow deep pot of boiling water. Guilt or innocence would be proved depending on whether, after three days, their skin remained burnt and… Read more »
Local Court Most criminal and civil cases first enter the New South Wales (NSW) court system via the Local Court. The Local Court is presided over by magistrates who hear and decide cases. The Local Court has criminal and civil jurisdictions. It deals with: ‘Summary cases’ – which are criminal cases that have a maximum… Read more »
