Articles

In Australia, tasers are primarily used by law enforcement officers like the police to incapacitate those who pose a threat to themselves, others or the police. Tasers are strictly regulated and subjected to guidelines which aim to minimise their misuse. Police officers undergo training to ensure that they are handling and operating tasers safely and […]

Every adult over the age of 18 who is registered on the electoral roll may be summoned to serve for jury duty in NSW. If you are summoned for jury duty, you will go through a selection process to determine whether you will be a part of the 12-person jury for the matter. In a […]

In Australia, double jeopardy laws have evolved through significant reforms to balance the rights of the accused and ensure the prosecution are able to re-agitate proceedings where appropriate. The principle is intended to protect the rights of individuals by ensuring that the criminal justice system does not abuse its power. However, some have argued that […]

The criminal justice system regularly deals with persons who make a complaint to police about their partner, but later decide that they want to know how to get domestic violence charges dropped. There may also be circumstances where a complainant has explicitly told police that they do not want their partner charged, but police lay […]

When police apply for an Apprehended Violence Order (AVO), often the first question that many people ask is whether the AVO will appear on a police check. Often people are concerned about the consequences of an AVO being made against them. As such it is crucial to speak to a specialist AVO lawyer who can […]

The Australian government has announced that it will be moving forward with legislation to make doxxing a criminal offence. The move follows the leak of personal information of more than 600 participants in a WhatsApp group chat. It has been hailed as an attempt to combat cyberbullying and harassment, however, critics have raised concerns about […]

Stealthing laws are a relatively new phenomenon in respect of sexual assault legislation. It has gained notoriety in recent years but there is still legal ambiguity surrounding stealthing in Australia. The ACT, Tasmania, NSW and Victoria have introduced legislation criminalising stealthing in the last year. A recent review of sexual assault legislation in Queensland recommended […]

In NSW, police can search your car in limited circumstances. They do not have the power to stop and search vehicles at random. Some bases upon which police can search vehicles include when they are acting under a search warrant, they have the consent of the driver or they have a ‘reasonable suspicion’. Police powers […]

The offence of breach of bail in New South Wales is taken very seriously by police and the courts. Bail is granted with the expectation that a defendant will comply with a set of bail conditions. As such, any breach of these conditions can result in serious penalties and even the revocation of bail. What […]

An explanation of what a surety is in bail applications including requirements, who can be a surety and how to remove yourself as one