Articles
Category: Criminal Defence
Major changes to anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing regime from 2026
From 2026, major reforms to Australia’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing laws will come into effect, expanding obligations and enforcement powers.
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Changes to Queensland’s prostitution legislation from August 2024
Changes to Queensland’s prostitution laws to decriminalise sex work were passed by Parliament on 2 May 2024. Broadly, the changes establish a legal framework decriminalising the sex work industry in Queensland.
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Understanding Workcover fraud offences in Queensland
In Queensland, workers’ compensation laws and regulations contain various provisions which are designed to protect the compensation and rehabilitation scheme against misuse and fraudulent claims. Misuse or fraudulent claims against the workers’ compensation and rehabilitation system carries severe penalties.
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Alcohol ignition interlocks after drink driving convictions
If you are convicted of a relevant drink driving offence, you will have to complete the interlock program and have an alcohol ignition interlock fitted to your nominated vehicle upon getting your licence back.
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Understanding adult cautions by police in Queensland
In Queensland, adult cautions by police serve as a mechanism for handling low-level offences with a focus on rehabilitation. It provides a fair and efficient way of managing minor criminal offences as an alternative to formal court proceedings.
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Industrial manslaughter in Queensland
Industrial manslaughter occurs when an individual (worker or other person) dies at work due to negligence by a business or its senior officer. It is a criminal offence.
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Queensland bail laws for children
In 2024, Queensland introduced significant changes to its bail laws, aiming to tackle youth crime and enhance community safety. These reforms primarily focus on repeat offenders and represent a more stringent stance on granting bail, especially for young offenders deemed a risk to public safety.
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Significant changes to youth justice laws in Queensland
On 13 December 2024, the Queensland Parliament passed the Making Queensland Safer Act 2024, introducing significant amendments to youth justice laws. These changes mark a major shift in the way the justice system approaches young offenders, with some amendments already in effect and others set to come into force in 2025.
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Common interest privilege in Australia
Common interest privilege (CIP) is an extension of legal professional privilege (LPP) and applies to the sharing of privileged information between parties with a mutual interest in the outcome of litigation or legal matters.
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The ‘no body, no parole’ scheme in Queensland – clarifying the meaning of ‘remains’
Under Queensland’s ‘no body, no parole’ scheme, prisoners sentenced for various offences, including homicide, will be denied parole if the body or remains of their victim cannot be located, unless the prisoner provides satisfactory cooperation to locate the body.
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Mandatory sentencing in Queensland
When sentencing an offender for a criminal offence in Queensland, judges and magistrates usually have a level of discretion as to the sentence they impose. But that’s not always the case. A mandatory sentence is one that the judge or magistrate must impose upon someone who has committed a certain offence.
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Trafficking dangerous drugs in Queensland
Trafficking in dangerous drugs is one of the most serious criminal offences in Queensland. Under the Drugs Misuse Act 1986, any person who carries on a business of unlawfully trafficking in a dangerous drug is guilty of a crime.
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