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
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
Drug Court Program and Eligibility in NSW
Poppy Morandin and Jimmy Singh. Treating drug-related offenders, rather than resorting to sending them to prison, is far more effective in regard to addressing re-offending rates, according to research conducted by the National Drug and Alcohol Research Centre (NDARC) at UNSW Sydney and the NSW Bureau of Crime Statistics and Research (BOCSAR). Drug Court ...continue reading
Should Australia Legalise Cannabis?: An Interview with Michael Balderstone, Leader of the HEMP Party
Poppy Morandin and Jimmy Singh. As the one-year anniversary of marijuana’s legalisation in ACT and New Zealand’s upcoming referendum on legalising cannabis loom, it prompts consideration surrounding legalisation of the plant Australia-wide. On October 17, New Zealanders will vote in a referendum that will determine whether the growing, sale and consumption of cannabis for ...continue reading
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
Section 32 Mental Health Applications now Replaced by Section 14 to Get Criminal Charges Dismissed in Court
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 old Act called The Mental Health (Forensic Provisions) Act 1990 (NSW) (‘The Act’). It is a response to the increasing contact with ...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