News and resources

Stricter laws making it a criminal offence to display Nazi symbols in public are starting to bite, with the first person jailed for giving the Hitler salute. Member of neo-Nazi group jailed for Nazi salute The man, a leading member of a neo-Nazi group, gave the raised right arm salute in 2023 and cried “Heil […]

Spurious legal arguments frame the world of the sovereign citizen It’s not uncommon for a sovereign citizen to tell the cop who pulls them over that they’re not the driver at all – just a traveller in a vehicle. They tell the judge they’re not the “legal person” who was charged, but they’re really a […]

Deadlines are fast approaching for businesses to take steps to comply with changes under the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act 2006 (AML/CTF Act). AML/CTF Act reforms expand scope of existing laws The new legislative amendments broaden the reach of laws fighting money laundering and covert financing of terrorism. (Please see Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism […]

“What is a woman” has become the catchcry of anti-trans activists who argue there are only two genders – male and female. But Australia’s Federal Court has battled with the question of gender identity for three years in the discrimination case Tickle v Giggle, involving a transgender woman. Transgender woman removed from a women-only app […]

We hear a lot about legal cases being argued in court and judgments being handed down. But why does a person appear in one court and not another? What do the various courts in NSW actually do? Structure of courts in NSW The court structure in Australia is shaped like a pyramid. At the base […]

The act of interfering with a corpse by severing an ear and keeping it in the freezer was at the centre of a recent court battle over inheritance. The ear was secretly cut off the corpse before the funeral by the dead man’s brother, who hoped to prove the deceased did not have a biological […]

The Commonwealth Privacy Act has been amended to create a statutory tort for serious invasions of privacy (a tort is a non-criminal act of wrongdoing). The amendment postdated the 2024 Victorian County Court case of Waller v Barrett. It remains to be seen how higher courts will treat the case precedent, and more generally what […]

For what is believed to be the first time, a trans athlete has won a protracted court battle to enable an Apprehended Personal Violence Order (APVO) to be used to combat cyberbullying, as well as physical violence and abuse. Trans athlete targeted in cyberbullying campaign Sadly, cyberbullying is happening more and more, despite laws aimed […]

Jumping castle an attraction at school event Although more than three years have passed since the Tasmanian jumping castle accident, the tragedy is still fresh in our minds. On 16 December 2021 there was an event, the “Big Day In” at Hillcrest Public School in Devonport, on the north coast of Tasmania. The weather was […]

Unforeseen level of interest in legal aspects of photography A dozen years ago, an item was published on our website about the legal aspects of photography, When photos break the law – your rights when taking photos. It attracted an unforeseen level of interest, such that in 2019 a revised and updated version was published, […]

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 […]