News and resources

The NSW Supreme Court recently ruled that a school had failed in its legal duty of care for a 14-year-old boy after he suffered an unprovoked attack, even though it occurred outside school hours and beyond the school grounds. Student attacked outside school gate after end of school day The former Sydney schoolboy won $1.75 […]

A man who committed assault and battery against a speed camera operator was ordered by a court to pay his victim $401,265 in damages. Assault and battery due to mistaken belief The NSW District Court heard the unprovoked attack happened in a car park in the town of Oberon, when the attacker mistakenly decided that […]

Victorian government pays $8 million settlement to sexual abuse survivor Recent cases in Australia demonstrate that institutions can be vicariously liable for sexual abuse. In 2024 a survivor of sexual abuse by a teacher at a Melbourne primary school was awarded an $8 million settlement against the Victorian Education Department, in what is believed to […]

It is an offence to carry out “controlled activities” on waterfront land without an approval. This refers to construction work and also to clearing or depositing rocks, sand or plants. What is considered waterfront land? Waterfront land is defined as the bed of a waterway and the land 40 metres from the mean high bank. […]

Separation from a partner can be one of the most dangerous times for a woman in an abusive relationship, and the phenomenon of cyberstalking has increased the variety of ways an abuser can intimidate their former partner. Cyberstalking considered stalking under the law With the wide use and constant innovation of technology, it comes as […]

For the first time, 16-year-olds in Europe were allowed to vote in the June 2024 election for the European parliament, and they turned out in droves. Where can 16-year-olds vote? Sixteen-year-olds can vote in a number of countries, including Argentina, Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Cuba, Ecuador, Ethiopia, Germany, Malta, Nicaragua and Scotland. Now there is a […]

In April 2024 the first person was charged under the new “post and boast” law in NSW, following its announcement in March 2024. The law makes it a crime to boast about committing a crime by filming the act and posting the video on social media. New tough youth crime laws for “post and boast” […]

Every year in Australia about 3,000 babies are born as a result of using sperm donors. But there is a shortage of donors, and fertility clinics and IVF providers have appealed for more sperm and egg donors. Laws concerning sperm donors have changed over the years According to the 2021 Victorian Assisted Reproductive Treatment Authority […]

Many drivers are being caught by little-known NSW Road Rule 198, which makes it illegal to park in front of your own garage. NSW Road Rule 198 concerns blocking a footpath Under NSW Road Rule 198, motorists have been fined $283 if their car blocks or partially blocks a footpath, even when it is parked […]

Coercive control is a frequently hidden form of domestic abuse that includes physical, sexual, psychological, emotional and financial abuse of one individual by another. Figures show coercive control a significant problem The Bureau of Statistics figures on domestic abuse are shocking. One in four women and one in eight men have experienced domestic violence by […]

Surveys have found that half the population of Australia is confused about the new sexual consent laws and men in particular find it difficult to understand exactly when and how to ask for consent. Government campaign to explain legal requirements Now the federal government has launched a $40 million 12-month campaign across media to explain […]

The recent discovery of asbestos-contaminated mulch across Sydney has highlighted the fact that NSW’s existing environmental laws do little to protect our surroundings from environmental crime and fail to deter would-be offenders and polluters. New legislation increases penalties for environmental crime Put simply, the existing penalties for committing an environmental crime in NSW were shamefully […]

The words “cartel conduct” usually bring to mind violent international drug crime gangs. But cartels can also mean you pay more when you renovate, repair or build a home, buy a vehicle or just go shopping. Steep penalties for cartel conduct by two bin operators In February 2024, the Federal Court handed down a sentencing […]

According to the latest figures from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission, in 2022 Australians lost more than $3 billion to scammers, including losses due to payment redirection scams – and that is only the losses that were reported to the ACCC. How common are payment redirection scams? As house prices soar, scammers are employing […]

Employers found liable for industrial manslaughter could face up to 20 years in jail under tough new negligence laws to come into operation in NSW in 2024. New industrial manslaughter laws following worksite deaths NSW Industrial Relations Minister Sophie Cotsis has said she will bring in new industrial manslaughter laws which will significantly increase penalties […]

Doli incapax is Latin for “incapable of evil” and stems from the legal notion that humans can be too young to understand what they are doing is wrong when they commit a crime. Children under ten cannot be found guilty of an offence In Australia children ten years old and younger cannot be found guilty […]

Concerns regarding Border Force’s search powers It has been reported that the Australian Border Force searched more than 40,000 mobile phones and other data storage devices of travellers entering the country in just five years. During 2021, border officials demanded passwords to examine 822 mobile phones belonging to people entering the country, sometimes copying data […]

Police will have new powers to issue on-the-spot fines for adults caught with a small quantity of illegal drugs under an expansion of the Criminal Infringement Notice being brought in by the NSW government. Changes to current Criminal Infringement Notice The changes starting in 2024 broaden the current Criminal Infringement Notice (CIN) which enables police […]