When facing a serious criminal charge, securing the services of a qualified lawyer is not just advisable—it is absolutely essential. Criminal charges can carry life-altering consequences, including long-term imprisonment, hefty fines, loss of professional licenses, damaged reputation, and even immigration consequences such as deportation. Navigating the criminal justice system without expert legal representation puts you
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Legal System
What goes into preparing for a criminal trial?
Facing a criminal trial as the accused is one of the most serious and challenging experiences aperson can endure. Preparation is essential, not only to understand the legal process but also to ensure that my rights are fully protected. As your defence counsel, my main objective is to present a strong, honest defence and work
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When Is a Corroboration Warning Allowed?
In criminal law, corroborating evidence means evidence in addition to what the complainant said happened making the evidence more reliable and in so doing strengthening the case against the accused. Under common law, sexual assault complainants were considered a class of witness to be inherently unreliable. Such allegations were said to be ‘very easy to
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Family Violence
The rates of FDV in Australia show that 1 in 4 (23% or 2.3 million) women have experienced violence from an intimate partner since the age of 15. And, 1 in 14 (7.3% or 693,000) men have experienced violence from an intimate partner since the age of 15 (ABS 2023a). In keeping the statistics, our
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Coercive Control Behaviour Laws
The WA Government is considering introducing laws that address Coercive Control Behaviour (CCB). CC is taken to be: Western Australia already has in place laws aimed at protecting people from CCB. For example, Section 5A (1) Restraining Orders Act 1977: 5A Term used: family violence (1) A reference in this Act to family violence is
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Police Not Taking Complaints Seriously
During a recent visit to Kuala Lumpur (KL) to meet with colleagues to discuss cases of shared interest and any new developments in law, I was struck by the topic of whether the police are required to take a statement from a potential claimant/victim. What I understood was that KL police often fail to take
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Singaporean Drug Trafficker Executed
On Thursday 28 July 2023 authorities in Singapore executed by hanging 45 year old ethnic Tamil citizen Saridewi Binte Djamani. Ms Djamani was convicted after trial and sentenced to death for trafficking 30.72 grams of heroin. On Appeal Ms Djamani relied on the defence of consumption and that the heroin was for her own personal
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Banksia Prison – Youth Justice For All
Supreme Court Justice Tottle published reasons that found the lockdown of at least three Indigenous youths at Banksia Hill was unlawful. This has been an ongoing problem for the prison system, parents of incarcerated youths and politicians for many years. In response, public opinion is vocal: “Do the Crime do the Time,” and “what about
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Trespass or Burglary?
Both trespass and burglary have to do with property (land and buildings) and the person. It is vital that the distinction between trespass and burglary is known because in terms of penalty, someone charged with trespass usually receives a fine whereas someone charged with burglary – especially if the premises was a home and occupied
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First Time Alleged Offenders & Mental Health
Repeat offenders There are two categories of alleged offenders. The first category comprise repeat offenders – individuals who are known to police and the courts and are aware of the processes involved to deal with the charges. These individuals are so used to repeated encounters with the criminal justice system their ability to navigate the
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