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
Researchers Question Why Public Support Has Not Prompted Pill Testing Reform
Poppy Morandin and Jimmy Singh. While almost two‐thirds of the public support pill testing at music festivals, no state government has formally adopted the harm reduction method. The data, uncovered by findings from the Australian National University’s Australian Election Study, illustrates a strong public preference for the measure, in light of the several deaths ...continue reading
Move On Directions & Detaining an Intoxicated Person Found in a Public Place in NSW Laws
Poppy Morandin and Jimmy Singh. An expert panel comprised of police and First Nations health and legal professionals has released a report detailing the plan to enable Victoria to transition from criminalising ‘public drunkenness’ to a health-based system. Prior to the coronial inquest into the death of 55-year-old Yorta Yorta woman Tanya Day in ...continue reading
The Proposed Drug Supply Prohibition Order Laws in NSW
Jimmy Singh and Poppy Morandin. A proposed new law with the support of the state Government and the Labor opposition would enable NSW Police to stop, detain and search anyone convicted of a ‘serious drug offence’ in the past decade, including their vehicle or premises, without a warrant. Some of the concerning aspects of ...continue reading
Merit Program: The NSW Courts Diversionary Pathway for Drug & Alcohol Addicts
What is the MERIT program? The MERIT program is an opportunity for those who suffer from drug or alcohol addiction, who end up going to court to face criminal charges in the Local Court to assist in rehabilitation. ‘MERIT’ is an abbreviation for ‘Magistrates Early Referral Into Treatment’. A plea of ‘guilty’ or ‘not ...continue reading