• Judge • QC • DPP •
ICAC Changes: Why the Greens Are Wrong The Greens have published their rationale for voting in favour of changes to the ICAC. In a glossy, colourful release complete with photographs of no less than 27 carefree, happy, smiling faces we are told that all is well and that despite the changes, the ICAC is as strong as ...
Wake up calls are sometimes subtle and sometimes obvious. A continent on fire, people dying, homes lost, wildlife decimated. To me, this comes into the obvious category. We have seen that a leadership vacuum cannot be filled by a part time pastor and that in these times sterner stuff is needed for our nation to see ...
The appalling Ristevski sentence highlights a real problem in our criminal justice system and serious consideration should be given to amending aspects of our criminal procedure. A person accused of a crime who pleads guilty, is often given the benefit of a reduction in sentence as consideration for his guilty plea. It is dependent upon ...
When political parties seek the approval of the people to govern in Australia, they do so with the implicit if not explicitly stated promise that they will provide certain basic fundamental services that are expected in modern democracies. These include, amongst others, a decent health system, transport system, education system and an affordable legal system that ...
The resort to so-called ‘Cabinet confidentiality’ by Mr Malinauskas and the Labor Opposition concerning the report presented by former Police Commissioner Mal Hyde into carers working with vulnerable children, is as breathtaking in its arrogance as it is cruel in its effect. While cabinet members have traditionally claimed the right to keep differing opinions expressed amongst ...
It is a well entrenched principle of sentencing in the criminal law that certain features of a case may be regarded as mitigatory in their effect on punishment. Such features might include a plea of guilty, a demonstration of remorse, forgiveness by the victim or assistance given to the investigating authorities. The absence of these features does ...
The South Australian Department of Premier and Cabinet has published a document entitled: “CARETAKER CONVENTIONS AND PRE-ELECTION PRACTICES” The document explicitly recognises that after the dissolution of Parliament, the business of government MUST CONTINUE and that “ORDINARY MATTERS OF ADMINISTRATION” must be addressed. Government departments are expected to operate normally. The only restrictions on government during this period ...
Well, did you see it? SABest's TV ad or Playschool for the rhythmically challenged? There are two positives that come out of that affront to our intelligence. Now we know why SAB is a policy free zone – because the absolute best that they can come up with is to think that this election can be won ...
Of the many painful legacies that 14 years of incompetence has left the people of SA, the disaster that is our health system ranks as one of the worst. It truly has been ‘transformed’ but in the same way that a beach is transformed when it is swamped by a tidal wave. The same way ...
For the increasingly diminishing number of citizens who still can manage any interest in the poor excuse we have for politics in this State, the looming elections arouse some disconcerting questions. Should we vote for a party where the best that can be said for it is that it has experience in government? It’s dismal record ...