It’s highly unusual for a journalist to pursue someone he thinks has been involved in foul play by publishing a popular podcast. But the trial verdict will give Hedley Thomas enormous gratification.
- Emeritus Professor in Law and Criminal Justice, Adelaide University
Complicating things is the fact the prosecution plans to call Wilkinson as a witness in the trial.
The decision to broadcast an interview so far ahead of the final completion of the judicial process is a risky one. There was no pressing need to run this story now.
The Productivity Commission is examining Australia’s incarceration rates, arguing our jails are not providing value for money.
The prince may be be staying at Balmoral with the queen, but there is no easy way to escape a new civil claim from Virginia Giuffre.
There is a clear legal reason why publications including The Age and news.com.au have copped hefty penalties.
The laws on filming, recording and in some cases distributing the images of another person in Australia are clear — and the potential consequences for the accused are substantial.
In criminology, there are many theories to account for why men are more likely than women to commit crimes – and they may hold the key to changing those figures.
There are mounting calls for an inquiry into the allegations against the attorney-general. But our attention should now switch to the South Australian coroner.
With the COVID-19 vaccine soon to be rolled out in Australia, there are situations where proof of vaccination may be required.
A Victorian government proposal to build a clinical information system for every Victorian, with no opt-out, has merits, but the many risks to privacy must be addressed.
The Queensland opposition wants an 8pm curfew for children under 14 and 10pm for those under 17, in Townsville and Cairns.
Government conspiracy theories are without merit, but their growing prevalence should ring alarm bells about the parlous state of civics education in this country.
Surveillance tools such as these are perfectly legal in Australia, despite privacy concerns. But safeguards should still be put into place.
As Melburnians are encouraged to wear masks in public, shops and cafes around Australia can already make mask-wearing a condition of entry.
There are questions being raised about the legality of scanning, storing and sharing facial images. The law currently doesn’t prohibit even highly intrusive levels of surveillance by private entities.
A patchwork of state and federal laws cover the surveillance of private conversation. But, in all cases, there is a “public interest” defence.
Providing the relevant safeguards are in place, there should be no particular threat to Australians’ privacy.
The appeal may lead to a loss of public confidence in the jury system, but that’s how the justice process works.
Releasing prisoners on remand – who are entitled to a presumption of innocence – would reduce the risk of them contracting COVID-19 and the disease spreading within prisons.
The coroner said he ‘reasonably suspected’ Dreamworld owner Ardent Leisure had committed an offence under Queensland workplace laws, which could lead to a fine up to A$3 million.
Here’s when the law says it’s okay to let rude words fly.
At what point does good-natured inebriation become criminally-tinged intoxication?
There’s no going back to the days when police did not carry guns. But now that they have them, their training must be unremitting. Australian lives depend on it.
Evidence from Australia shows the Ardern government’s moves to eliminate certain firearms from New Zealand will improve community safety.
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