How Does COVID-19 Affect Bail Applications in NSW?
By Fouad Awada and Jimmy Singh. On 30 March 2020, the Supreme Court of New South Wales handed down a decision granting conditional bail to Mr Abdul Rakielbakhour who was accused and charged with serious domestic violence charges. Mr Rakielbakhour was arrested and charged with common assault and assault occasioning actual bodily harm, alleged ...continue reading
COVID-19 – Key Changes Made by District Courts Affecting all Criminal and Traffic Cases in NSW
From 30 March 2020, the District Court have implemented a number of changes to the way in which criminal cases are heard during the COVID-19 pandemic. It is important to remain up to date as arrangements are likely to continue to change. If you have a criminal matter in the District Court currently, please ...continue reading
How COVID-19 is Affecting NSW Local Court Cases in Australia
Taking affect Monday, 30 March 2020, a number of key changes have been made to the way in which NSW Local Court matters are to be dealt with during the COVID-19 pandemic. On 24 March 2020, the New South Wales Chief Magistrate, Judge Graham Henson AM, released a Memorandum regarding some of the key ...continue reading
How Former Prison Guard Used Cereal Boxes to Conceal and Traffic Contraband into Place of Detention
By Sahar Adatia and Jimmy Singh. In the confines of a prison, where everyday luxuries are at best a fantasy, the temptation to smuggle in goods is profound. In the desperation for creature comforts, many of which in prisons are deemed prohibited items, smugglers turn to all kinds of inventive ways to traffic in ...continue reading
Man Charged for Sexual Assault Offences After Allegedly Posing as Police Officer
By Sahar Adatia and Jimmy Singh. It is reported that on 27 March 2020, a man allegedly posed as a police officer in Adelaide’s CBD, and under his guise, entered the hotel rooms of two women who were in COVID-19 isolation, where he went on to sexually assault them. According to ABC News, police ...continue reading
Woman Charged for Assaulting Police in South-West Sydney After Spitting at the Officer
By Sahar Adatia and Jimmy Singh. As fear and uncertainty continue to mount with the novel coronavirus now in full force, so too it seems does the eccentric and offensive behaviour. Stressful times indeed deplete people to new lows, sapping them of their cognitive abilities; all the while, anxiety has the tendency to often ...continue reading
Man Jailed for Reporting Hoax Bomb Threat in Attempt to Delay Flight He Was Running Late For
By Sahar Adatia and Jimmy Singh. For decades now, the aviation industry has been wrestling with rising numbers of hoax bomb threats communicated in wide-ranging ways. Not only are such hoaxes on the increase, they also seem to be taking place with a vast array of motives behind them and even though a threat ...continue reading
Teenager Charged for Using Offensive Language After Verbally Abusing Two Asian Sisters in Sydney
By Sahar Adatia and Jimmy Singh. It’s a contested question – are you allowed to use offensive language in public? Today, we indeed find ourselves in a day and age where swearing has become commonplace. As such, most people wouldn’t even flinch at the sound of a swear word dropping. This is especially the ...continue reading
Penalties for Discriminating Against Race or Colour
By Sahar Adatia and Jimmy Singh. In February 2020, Sydney resident, Angela Prendergast, found herself on a suburban train when a middle-aged Caucasian female boarded and began yelling at a young Asian-Australian mother who was quietly travelling with her baby. Unbeknownst to Ms Prendergast at the time, that Saturday afternoon, a racial attack would ...continue reading
38-Year-Old Man Sentenced For a Common Assault Charge
By Sahar Adatia and Jimmy Singh. Tensions are rippling throughout the world as news of the coronavirus bubbles into our televisions and social media screens advising of the latest limitations and lockdowns. Undeniably, anxiety around the deadly virus and its threats to daily life have sharpened, leaving people fearful and reacting in all kinds ...continue reading