A Road to Decriminalising Cannabis in Australia
Image credit: McCarthy’s PhotoWorks Poppy Morandin. Australian drug overdoses have increased for six consecutive years, prompting reflection on the urgent need for drug law reform. The Pennington Annual Overdose Report 2021 has revealed that there were 2,227 overdose deaths in 2019. 1,644 of these deaths have been reported as unintentional. Of these deaths, a ...continue reading
The Offence and Penalties of Smuggling Drugs into Prison in NSW
Poppy Morandin. Two men and a woman have been charged after allegedly trying to shoot a package of drugs into a South Australian jail using a bow and arrow. Police were called to the prison after reports of three people sitting in a grey Mazda sedan were acting suspiciously, near the Port Augusta Prison. ...continue reading
A Simple Guide on Parole and Imprisonment Sentences in NSW
Jimmy Singh and Poppy Morandin. Mohammed Skaf, who was jailed over a series of gang rapes on women and girls in the lead up to the Sydney Olympics, is set to be released on parole. Skaf was only 17 when he and a group of at least 14 other men, including his older brother ...continue reading
Spent Convictions and Background Checks
Key Takeaway Can a criminal record be cleared in Australia? Yes, a criminal record can be cleared in Australia if the crime-free period for certain criminal offences is complete. If so, the conviction will then be considered ‘spent’, and it will no longer form part of a person’s criminal record, subject to exceptions under the ...continue reading
Drug Charges in NSW
Poppy Morandin. A parliamentary committee has found that criminal enterprises adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic by infiltrating food delivery companies and using them to deliver drugs across Australia. The Parliamentary Joint Committee on Law Enforcement focused on trends and changes in criminal activity and law enforcement as a result of the pandemic. The committee, ...continue reading
Byron Bay Police Bust 24-year-old with 73 kilograms of Cannabis
Poppy Morandin. Following a vehicle stop in the north of NSW, police have discovered 73 kilograms of cannabis. The Pantech truck was travelling on the Pacific Motorway, McLeods Shoot, near Byron Bay. Officers allegedly discovered a significant amount of cannabis in the vehicle, with an estimated potential street value of $480,000. The NSW Police ...continue reading
Alleged Importation of $675K Worth of Liquid MDMA Hidden in Wine Bottles
It is reported that a 63-year-old man has allegedly imported $675,000 worth of liquid MDMA inside wine bottles into Australia. An air cargo consignment containing wine bottles arrived in Sydney from the UK on Xmas day. The consignment which was declared to contain wine bottles, was found by Australian Border Force (ABF) with anomalies prompting ...continue reading
Proposed New Major Jail Near Parramatta to Accommodate NSW’s Growing Prison Population
Poppy Morandin. The NSW government has revealed that Camellia, a suburb near Parramatta, is the proposed location for the state’s new jail, in a move to aide over-crowding. Camellia is the preferred site for the prison that will house around 1,000 inmates, as confirmed by three senior government sources. The new plan comes four years ...continue reading
Police Strip Search Laws in NSW: Without Warrant
Poppy Morandin and Jimmy Singh. After a two-year inquiry, the NSW Police ‘watchdog’ has released a report detailing how the lawfulness of current strip-searching practices is ‘debatable’ and that a lack of clarity has led to officers using the power without legal justification. The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission’s 167-page final report made 25 recommendations. ...continue reading
Debate Continues on proposed ‘three strike’ NSW drug decriminalisation policy: An Interview with Greens MP and Drug Law Reform and Harm Reduction Spokesperson, Cate Faehrmann
Poppy Morandin and Jimmy Singh. The NSW government has sought to rule out the prospect of ‘decriminalising’ drug use, amid leaks from cabinet discussions regarding the response to last year’s special commission of inquiry into ice. The details of the leaked proposal have presented a form of ‘depenalisation’ through a tiered system in which ...continue reading