Smuggling Contraband Charges Result After Men Allegedly Try to Toss a Tennis Ball Stuffed with Drugs Over Prison Fence
By Sahar Adatia and Jimmy Singh. Stuck in the confines of a correctional facility, where the comfort of contraband is a mere figment of the imagination, there are no means too extreme or absurd for the prisoner who is desperate to get their hands on prohibited items. From alcohol and drugs, to cigarettes and ...continue reading
Jury Trials Return to NSW After a 3-Month Freeze
By Poppy Morandin & Jimmy Singh. With COVID-19 related restrictions easing and business seemingly returning to normal for most of New South Wales, the District Court has begun criminal trials before juries again. The return will be done under strict measures including temperature checks and screening questions for jurors, in order to prevent individuals ...continue reading
Real Estate Agent Sentenced for Trafficking Cocaine in Victoria
By Poppy Morandin & Jimmy Singh. Craigslist ads for $350 “White VIP” party tickets posted by someone named “Charlie”, that were promised to be the “best in Melbourne,” and would “sort out your weekend properly,” may seem innocent enough to the untrained eye. However, in late February 2017, Victorian Police set up a purchase ...continue reading
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
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
Australia’s Growing Illicit Drug Consumption
Australia has spent over $11b on prohibited drugs just last year. In fact, reports say that while the Sydney community is consuming less alcohol, consumption of prohibited drugs have increased, namely cocaine methylamphetamine and nicotine. From the $11.3b spent on drugs by our nation last year, just over $8b of it was on methylamphetamine. ...continue reading
What are the Rules Around NSW Police Strip Searching a Person?
241,000 is the number that has been given to NSW Police Officers, representing the quota for conducting personal searches, including strip searches on people for the 2019 financial year. In fact, in 2019, NSW Police failed to meet its quota by just under 2000 searches. NSW Greens managed to obtained the shocking revelation through the ...continue reading
What is a Criminal Lawyers’ Role?
Criminal lawyers represent people from all walks of life. Unfortunately, movies and TV shows have portrayed criminal lawyers in a bad light, prompting members of the public asking the question criminal lawyers get asked too often, “but how can you defend a criminal?”, or “how can you defend a guilty person?”. Too often we ...continue reading
Penalties & Defences for Importing Commercial Quantity of MDMA into Australia
It is reported that two men have allegedly tried to import 645kg of MDMA drugs from Cyprus to Sydney by hiding it in aluminium BBQ’s. Police allege that the drugs were being imported to Sydney in 200 aluminium barbeques in July last year. Following an investigation lasting 6-months, authorities have arrested two men, a ...continue reading
How Does the On-The-Spot Fine for Drug Possession Work and When Can it Be Applied?
It is reported that a LEGO shaped MDMA strand has emerged containing 3 times the usual dose. As a result, authorities have been trying to issue warnings in the lead of the New Year’s Eve after the prohibited drug was discovered in the far North of NSW. Professor Andrew Dawson from the NSW Poisons ...continue reading