NSW Police Commissioner Defends Officers Who Performed ‘Unlawful’ Arrest on Curtis Scott
By Poppy Morandin and Jimmy Singh. NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller has sought to defend the actions of police officers involved in the wrongful arrest of NRL player Curtis Scott. The bodycam footage of the arrest shown in court sparked outrage, with it depicting Scott, who was passed out drunk at the foot of ...continue reading
Can Police Search You Using a Drug Detection Dog in NSW?
By Poppy Morandin and Jimmy Singh. Sniffer dog operations have reportedly returned following their apparent suspension due to concerns related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Sniff Off, a Greens campaign for police accountability, drug law reform and civil liberties, regularly reports on sightings of drug dog operations in order to raise the public awareness. They ...continue reading
Latest BOSCAR statistics and the need for greater focus on rehabilitation: An interview with Deputy Mayor of Dubbo and Barrister Stephen Lawrence
By Poppy Morandin. Recent release of crime statistics detailing a quarterly update for this year, have revealed that crime across most of NSW has remained stable or fallen in the two years to June 2020. A major exception to this finding was within the crime category of sexual assault, which has risen 9.4% over ...continue reading
Law and Penalties for Robbery Offences in NSW
By Sahar Adatia and Jimmy Singh. A 27-year-old woman from Melbourne who coordinated a ruthless home invasion after finding out that her friend, a cancer patient, had received a six-figure inheritance, has been sentenced and will spend at least four years behind bars. It is reported that in April last year, Kristy Patricia Avdulla ...continue reading
Man Sentenced for Grievous Bodily Harm Assault Against 83-Year-Old Woman
By Sahar Adatia and Jimmy Singh. It was the middle of the night when 35-year-old Victorian man, Eric Phillip Pickford, broke into the home of an 83-year-old woman living nearby him in Morwell, and in his intoxicated state, bashed the elderly resident multiple times with a hammer. The 83-year-old was listening to the radio ...continue reading
Federal Government Seeking to Ban Refugees from Utilising Phones
By Poppy Morandin. A proposed bill by the Federal Government may effectively further liken the experience of refugees in detention centres to individuals within corrective centres. The Migration Amendment (Prohibiting Items in Immigration Detention Facilities) Bill 2020 will allow mobile phones and other internet-capable devices to be deemed “prohibited items”, the searching of detainees ...continue reading
Law and Penalties for Inciting or Urging Violence in Australia
By Poppy Morandin and Jimmy Singh. Images of Victorian Police handcuffing a pregnant woman have sparked outrage, after she was arrested and charged with incitement over a Facebook post. Video of the arrest was posted online and showcases the pregnant young mother, 28-year-old Zoe Buhler, in her home, in her pyjamas and arguing with ...continue reading
Woman Dragged Out of Car by Hammer-Wielding Man During Frightening Carjacking Incident
By Sahar Adatia and Jimmy Singh. It was the frightening moment a woman in Adelaide was approached by a hammer-wielding man who went on to smash her car window before dragging her out of her vehicle. The attempted carjacking incident is reported to have occurred in the afternoon of 10 August 2020, when a ...continue reading
The New Laws on Mental Health in the Criminal Justice System: The Diversionary Pathway
There is an available legislative framework for a NSW court to determine criminal proceedings where the accused or defendant has mental health issues relevant to the case. This legislative framework is echoed in The Mental Health (Forensic Provisions) Act 1990 (NSW) (‘The Act’). It is a response to the increasing contact with the criminal ...continue reading
Plot to Smuggle Drugs into Maximum-Security Jail Fails as Prison Officials Quickly Thwart Plan
By Sahar Adatia and Jimmy Singh. It was an attempt to drop off drugs with the help of a drone to a maximum-security jail in New South Wales’ Hunter region that failed miserably – so miserably that neither the plan nor the drone actually took off. The plan all came undone on the morning ...continue reading