Articles

Criminal matters running through the Court have always attracted media attention. Crime is a hot topic in the media and, if you attend Court, you will see journalists in Court taking notes or outside Court filming for the news. Journalists can report on anything said...

Every day, accused people stand trial in front of a jury of their peers, who are charged with delivering a verdict on their guilt. It is a nerve-wracking time for an accused person and, in all likelihood, they have never gone through the process before.  Listed below...

In Victoria, separate bail and sentencing regimes exist which apply specifically to children and young people. This article outlines the youth justice framework which applies to people under the age of 21 who are to be sentenced to serious offences (or multiple...

In Victoria, if you have been found guilty and been convicted of an offence, you may be liable for victims compensation. Under the Sentencing Act, victims can apply for compensation if they have suffered injury as a result of the offender’s crime. Such orders differ...

For a number of years, and particularly since the tragic events which unfolded in Bourke Street, Melbourne, in 2017, the issue of bail has been a contentious and political issue. More recently, the death of Veronica Nelson in custody (and the subsequent coronial...

Self defence is a commonly used defence in Victoria for charges relating to assault, and in some cases, manslaughter, and murder. Originally a common law defence, self defence was codified in the Victorian Crimes Act 1958 in 2005. Since then, provisions have been...

In Victoria, there are different offences that relate to the unlawful killing of another person. Aside from murder, these include: Voluntary manslaughter; Involuntary manslaughter; Single punch manslaughter (King hit manslaughter); Workplace manslaughter; and Suicide...

One of the most common questions criminal lawyers get asked from our clients’ family members is in relation to providing the court a surety for the accused’s bail. For many, providing a surety will feel like a very big decision and you may be overwhelmed, particularly...

In the last five years, since the Royal Commission into the Banking Sector, we have seen the introduction of individual ‘de-banking’. ‘De-banking’ is a process by which your bank refuses to continue to service you. This means that they can refuse to allow you to...