Criminal Law

Drug Possession Charges

Introduction

This article considers the criminal charge of possessing a proscribed drug. While there are differences between the jurisdictio...

Talking about Stalking: It's a crime

You may know that Apprehended Violence Orders (AVOs) prevent further acts of violence against victims. All AVOs have a standard clause to prohibit s...

Criminal Appeals

Introduction

This article focuses on the process of seeking an appeal in criminal law from a State or Territory court. An "appeal...

Plea Bargaining: Does it Exist in Australia?

This article focuses on the practice of "plea bargaining". If you have been charged with an offence, it is important that you understand how the...

Whodunit? Basics of Criminal Responsibility

Concepts

This article considers, from a general standpoint, the law and concepts that govern criminal responsibility in the S...

Personal Firearms Licensing

This article focuses on the licensing regime for personal firearms in New South Wales. There are substantial similarities between the law in New Sou...

Bail

Introduction

This article considers the scope and purpose of bail. While the criminal law of New South Wales is used as an example, the ...

Arrest and Police Powers

Introduction

This article focuses on the power of the police to arrest a suspect or to question a person of interest...

Child Sex Offender Registration

Introduction and Purpose

Each State and Territory in Australia maintains a register of offenders who have been convicted of crimes in...

The Criminal Offence of Larceny

Larceny is a criminal offence. If you are charged with larceny the police must show that you took and carried away the personal goods of another wit...

Possessing a Drug Offence

In NSW, it is an offence to possess prohibited drugs. This is controlled by the Drug Misuse and Trafficking Act, which gives the police powe...

New speeding penalties introduced

Every state in Australia has slightly different demerit schemes and the associated fines.  From the 1st July, 2009 New South Wales road use...