Affirmative Sexual Consent laws. What do they mean?

Sexual consent law reforms have passed in New South Wales Parliament, and they’re being described as a major step forward in delivering better justice for sexual assault survivors. Rape can be difficult to prosecute Police officers and lawyers will attest to the fact that rape cases can be difficult to prosecute, for a number of […]

What does it mean to appeal a criminal conviction?

appeal in the court

The news that has dominated headlines recently is the story of Jarryd Hayne walking free from jail, having had his sexual assault convictions quashed. The former NRL star was convicted late last year of two counts of sexual assault. After a jury found him guilty his legal team launched an appeal against his conviction. Every […]

Supplying a prohibited drug in New South Wales

prohibited drugs and the law NSW Australia

I bet that if you asked any parent what their greatest worry is, most would say their teenagers getting into trouble with drugs makes it into the top three concerns. A group of New South Wales high school parents are coming to terms with an even worse  scenario this week – the news that a […]

Anti-Troll Legislation

Cyber Bullying

Be aware of what you say online or you could find yourself in court In recent weeks the Federal Government has been working on introducing new legislation. These new laws have been dubbed “anti-troll” legislation, and specifically focus on cyberbullying. The laws, if enacted, would require companies such as Facebook, Instagram, Google etc, to reveal […]

RATs in the cupboard – Living with Covid

Covid-19 Rapid Antigen Tests Laws

Children are back at school, people are returning to the workplace, borders have opened and … Covid-19 is running rampant across the country. Vaccinations and RAT testing As part of the plan for moving forward, double-vaccinations are required in many circumstances, and so is Rapid Antigen Testing. In recent days the Supreme Court of New […]

Cyber crime is on the rise – make sure you protect yourself

Cyber Crime

There’s been a couple of stories in the media lately which are testament to the ever increasing sophistication of online scams. These should act as a warning for us all to remain vigilant and to take appropriate steps to protect our privacy as we spend more and more time online. Almost 16 million Commonwealth Bank […]

Speeding in School Zones

school zone driving law

It’s so easy to get caught out doing the wrong thing as a driver in a school zone, and it is one of the most common traffic offences, particularly here in the Northern Rivers. Why? Well, for a couple of reasons. Firstly, in the little villages in and around the hinterland, there are small country […]

What happens when a child is charged with murder?

Murder Charges

One of the saddest stories to emerge in the past couple of weeks is that New South Wales Police have charged a 13-year old with murder over the fatal stabbing of a boy the same age. Police investigations are still underway, but it has been alleged by Police that the boys were engaged in a […]

Driving Under The Influence (DUI)

Driving Under The Influence

The celebrating season is here … so leave the car at home It’s no secret that drink driving continues to be a prominent road safety issue across New South Wales, despite the multi-millions of dollars that the State Government pours into education and law enforcement year after year. Every year hundreds of people die, or […]

Sexual harassment in the workplace

Sexual Harassment In The Workplace

Sexual harassment, bullying, discrimination and workplace misconduct are all topics that are very difficult to ignore right now, particularly with the recent release of the Set the Standard report, the result of an extensive inquiry into the culture at Parliament House and it’s associated workplaces. The inquiry was one of several ordered by the Prime […]

Online dating? Make sure you take appropriate precautions and stay safe

Online Dating Safety

A man from Wyong on the NSW Central Coast has been arrested and charged with the alleged sexual assault of two women he met on the dating app Tinder. Police investigations are continuing, but the man has been charged with four counts of sexually touching another person without consent. He has been refused bail and […]

New study shows police presence at music festivals can lead to drug overdoses

drugs at festivals

A new survey — purported to be the largest of its kind —  suggests that a strong police presence at music festivals is a key factor in people ‘loading up’, that is taking all their drugs before entering festival gates, which can have serious consequences, potentially leading to illness and in some cases even death. […]

Class Action launched by attendees of Splendour in the Grass

splendour in the grass

A class action lawsuit has been launched for people who believe they were illegally strip searched by New South Wales Police at Byron Bay’’s iconic music festival Splendour in the Grass in 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019. The class action is the result of an inquiry conducted by the police watchdog, the Law Enforcement Conduct […]

Mobile phones and driving – know the rules

dangerous driving mobile phones

Most of us know by now that touching or holding a mobile phone while driving in Australia is strictly prohibited. Your mobile phone must be connected to your car via Bluetooth or in an approved, securely mounted cradle so it’s hands-free. For L-Platers and P-Platers, phones are not to be used at all while driving. […]

Children as young as 10 can be held criminally responsible. Is that too young?

Child Criminal Responsibility

In Australia, children as young as ten can be held criminally responsible if they break the laws. Recently, all of the State Attorneys-General agreed to consider raising this age as Australia faces increasing international pressure to keep children and teens out of prison. Last week Greens Member of the Legislative Council (MLC)  David Shoebridge went […]

What is the offence of Child Abduction in New South Wales?

Child Abduction Offences

People around Australia let out a collective sigh of relief this week, some even shed a tear, at the very happy news that 4-year old Cleo Smith was found by Western Australian Police and had been reunited with her family. The little girl was taken from her parents’ tent in early hours of the morning […]

Drug policy is changing for the better in New South Wales

Nsw Drug Charge Review

Recently the New South Wales Government has mooted that it’s considering making changes to drug policy and drug laws, to give some drug users ‘second chances’. This is really good news. Traditionally, the New South Wales Government has taken a hardline punitive approach to offences relating to drug use and drug possession. Currently, under Section […]

DV Funding

Domestic Violence Funding

The new New South Wales Premier has announced the State’s biggest investment yet in assistance for victims of domestic and family violence. As part of the NSW pandemic recovery package, Premier Dominic Perrottet has announced that close to $500 million has been earmarked for new safe houses for victims leaving abusive relationships. Funds will be […]

Unvaccinated? – New Covid-19 health regulations you need to know

covid vaccination rules

Greater Sydney opened up this week having reached a milestone of 80% Covid-19 vaccination rates. And this is good news, not just for those in the city who’ve endured 15 weeks of lockdown, but for the rest of New South Wales too, because it means we can start to move forward again. Part of the […]

Enjoy Halloween without breaking any laws

halloween laws NSW

Halloween just seems to get bigger and brighter and most families say it’s a great annual community-oriented activity that brings neighbourhoods together. While it’s important to have fun, it’s also important to stay safe, and obey the laws! Be Covid-Safe Covid-19 hasn’t cancelled Halloween, but NSW Health has released some information and made some recommendations […]