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 »
NSW Courts Articles
How Do I Write An Apology Letter To The Court For A Drink Driving Offence?
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 in NSW Courts
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 »
Practical Jokes And The Law
You might think your prank is hilarious but will a judge think so too? Or maybe you are already in this situation. If you have been charged with a crime, which in your eyes was just a prank gone wrong, it is important to speak with a lawyer, sooner than later. Throughout history people have… Read more »
Syringe Attack Heard in the Nowra Local Court: Is Syringe Robbery Increasing?
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 »
Witness Immunity in the Gosford District Court
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 »
What is a Spent Conviction?
A spent conviction basically limits the disclosure of previous criminal convictions, meaning that if you have committed a crime in the past, it will no longer show up on your criminal record and you don’t have to disclose it to anyone, either within Australia, or overseas. It will even allow you to claim on oath… Read more »
Contempt of Court in Downing Centre District Court
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 »
Nursing Home Assault Case Heard in Katoomba Local Court
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 »
Will Pleading Guilty Reduce My Sentence?
Pleading guilty early can reduce your sentence, and the benefits of pleading guilty are much more likely to kick in the earlier that you plead. Police are often open to discussions on plea bargaining, which is where more serious charges can be dropped if you plead guilty early to lesser ones. However, one justice thinks… Read more »