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
Chinese Drug Trafficker on Death Row Escapes Lawful Custody by Tunnelling Through Sewers to Road Outside
By Sahar Adatia and Jimmy Singh. It’s the kind of plot you’d only ever see play out in a movie, except of course this was real life – in mid-September 2020, a man facing the death sentence in Indonesia for drug trafficking managed to escape from jail by tunnelling through the sewage system, and ...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
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
Concerns Reignited for Prisoners Amid Further Outbreaks of COVID-19
By Poppy Morandin. There are reportedly 70 inmates in lockdown within Silverwater Correctional Complex after coming into close contact with a staff member who has tested positive for COVID-19. Within their advocacy efforts, The Greens have issued an open letter to Anthony Roberts, Minister for Corrections detailing the “significant concerns…about the lockdown at Silverwater ...continue reading
Law on the Age of Criminal Responsibility in NSW: An Interview with Greens MP David Shoebridge
By Poppy Morandin and Jimmy Singh. Despite a strong campaign to raise the age of criminal responsibility from 10 to 14, the decision has been deferred to 2021, following concerns that further work needs to be done regarding processes and services for children who exhibit offending behaviour. The issue was discussed at the meeting ...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
Law on Drug Smuggling Charges in NSW
While Australia no longer have the death sentence as a penalty, China still has it under its criminal justice system. Australia completely abolished the death sentence by 1985, in fact the federal government legislated against capital punishment. The last ever recorded execution by way of a death penalty in Australia was in 1967, Victoria ...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