By Blake O’Connor and Ugur Nedim A recent case with a very long history serves as yet another example of DNA profiling being used to solve crime. DNA profiling refers to the examination of biological material obtained from two or more separate sources to determine whether they are likely to have the same origin. DNA evidence… Read more »
By Sonia Hickey and Ugur Nedim Technology is infiltrating every aspect of our lives. Its ever-changing presence is affecting our work, our home life and even the way we keep in touch with friends and family. So it’s no surprise that one of our oldest institutions, our courts, are gradually embracing technology too. Audio visual… Read more »
By Blake O’Connor and Ugur Nedim Radio shock jocks and tabloid newspapers often publish sensationalised reports accusing magistrates and judges of being ‘soft on crime’ by imposing lenient sentences on those who commit serious offences. Those reports are often presented in a misleading fashion, ignoring many of the facts to invoke the emotions of the… Read more »
Smokers will soon be hit in the pocket again, after new legislation has cleared the way for further price hikes on tobacco. The Federal Government has voted to raise the levy on cigarettes by 12.5% over four years, which will fill government coffers with an extra $4.7 billion. Aussies who smoke will pay $40 a… Read more »
As countries around the world grapple with prison overcrowding, the United States has announced it will end privatisation of prisons at a federal level within the next five years. The US was the first country to privatise prisons in the early 1980s, when privatisation seen as a way to reduce government spending. Private companies also… Read more »
Last year, NSW Attorney-General Gabrielle Upton foreshadowed new laws to make it a criminal offence to engage in ‘disrespectful behaviour’ inside the courtroom. The proposal was in response to a number of high-profile cases where defendants refused to stand for judges in court. During his trial, Milad bin Ahmad-Shah al-Ahmadza, accused of shooting a man outside… Read more »
Hamdi Alqudsi, the central figure in Australia’s most successful jihadi recruitment network, has been sentenced to a minimum of six years in prison. In July this year, the 42-year-old western Sydney resident was found guilty in the NSW Supreme Court of seven counts of supporting engagement in armed hostilities in Syria. Alqudsi was found to… 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 »
A suite of new strata laws were passed by the NSW parliament on August 12. The 90-odd changes outlined in the Strata Schemes Management Regulation 2016 are said to provide a modern framework for people living in apartments and townhouses. Some of the key changes to strata laws include a more streamlined process for collective… Read more »
