Confidential and Free Pill-Testing at Surfers Paradise This year, Schoolies attendees in Surfers Paradise will have access to a new, confidential, and free pill-testing service. This follows the tiered approach to police drug diversions for minor drug possessions. The Police Powers and Responsibilities and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2023 amended the Penalties and Sentences Act and Police Powers and Responsibilities Act Addressing Rising Drug Use Among Young Women Recent findings from the National Drug Strategy Household Survey reveal a concerning rise in drug use among young women aged 18 to 24, who are now taking illicit drugs at the same …
Category: Legal News
Cocaine to be included in Drug Driving Testing In response to the rising number of serious crashes, the Queensland Government has expanded its highly successful roadside drug testing program to include testing for cocaine. The inclusion of cocaine in the program aims to detect dangerous drivers and keep them off the state’s roads. Drivers on Queensland roads can be charged with an offence of driving while a relevant drug is present even if their driving is not impaired by the drug. With a zero-tolerance approach to drug driving, Queensland has implemented tough penalties for offenders, including license disqualification, fines, and …
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On 11 March 2021, The Attorney-General and Minister for Justice Shannon Fentiman announced the elevation of Magistrate Anthony Gett as the state’s newest Deputy Chief Magistrates. Magistrate Gett was first appointed a magistrate of the Magistrates Court of Queensland in 2013. Magistrate Gett’s appointment follows the retirement of former Deputy Chief Magistrate O’Shea after almost 20 years as Magistrate. Magistrate O’Shea was appointed Deputy Chief in July 2014. Magistrates Court Jurisdiction The Magistrates Court is a particularly busy jurisdiction. Of all the courts in Queensland it is the Magistrates Courts that most people will have contact with; over 90 per cent …
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The Court of Appeal this morning clarified the position on official notices issued as part of Queensland’s Consorting Laws. Following the March 2019 decision of Southport Magistrate, Kerry Magee in Queensland Police Service v Harley Joe Barbaro [2019] QMC 1 the Attorney-General for the State of Queensland referred 2 questions to the Court of Appeal for consideration. Effectively the Court of Appeal determined by majority that: police do not need to issue a separate warning for each stated person and can include multiple offenders on the one notice. Even if one of the stated persons on an official warning for consorting …
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Abortion Decriminalised in New South Wales In late September, the New South Wales government passed a bill to decriminalize abortion. These NSW laws come just months after Queensland and further regulated the conduct of registered health practitioners who administer abortions. For people in NSW, this means: abortion has been removed from current legislation which previously made it a criminal offence to have or administer one; women are able to have an abortion up until 22 weeks gestation; and, after 22 weeks gestation, women are able to have an abortion if approved by two “specialist medical practitioners”, who include obstetricians or …
Recently, there has been a lot of media attention on Section 24 of the Queensland Criminal Code, especially when talking about criminal allegations of rape. So what is Section 24? Known as the Mistake excuse, Section 24 states that a person who has a mistaken honest and reasonable belief may not be criminally responsible. The above explanation is a simplification of the provision: “A person who does or omits to do an act under an honest and reasonable, but mistaken, belief in the existence of any state of things is not criminally responsible for the act or omission to any …
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Qld government plans to introduce new laws charging drivers $1000 for being on their phone Drug-Related Deaths at Festivals Prompt an Important Coronial Inquest The death of six young New South Wales residents has prompted a coronial inquest to scrutinise the circumstances surrounding their deaths. The tragic deaths are all said to be in relation to drug consumption at music festivals. Particular issues expected to be raised by a final report include: The benefits of pill-testing; Whether over-policing has a negative affect; and Whether sufficient medical support is available at festivals. Alex Ross-King Alex Ross-King, a 19 year old girl, …
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Qld government plans to introduce new laws charging drivers $1000 for being on their phone The Queensland government plans to introduce a fine of up to $1000 for drivers who are caught using their mobile phones while driving. Currently, the penalty for being on your phone while driving in Queenslandd is $400 and 3 demerit points. The government’s intended increase is in response to the shockingly high number of road deaths in recent months. Whilst there has long been a government crackdown on drink driving, officials believe that distracted drivers are also a major danger on our roads and that …
NSW have introduced new laws affecting punishment for all levels of drink driving offences. The following changes impact NSW drivers: Swift and Certain loss of licence for lower-range offenders Mandatory Alcohol Interlock for mid-range offenders Vehicle Sanctions for high-risk drink drivers Swift And Certain Loss As of 20 May 2019, first-time offenders charged with low-range drink driving may have their licence immediately suspended for a period of 3 months. There is additionally a $561 fine. For repeat offenders and / or higher range offences, the penalties increase from there. This applies to all drivers charged on NSW roads …
During the 2018 Gold Coast Commonwealth Games, Queensland Police tried out a new technology with the aim to detect high-profile and target faces. From an internal police report released as a matter of public interest, we now know that the deployment was rushed and there were technical difficulties with the system. Both the Queensland and Federal Government denied important legislation that resulted in the system’s database being reduced by almost 40 million images. With a ~500% reduction in reference images, the facial recognition system was somewhat doomed from the start. Starting with focus on 16 high-priority targets, the system was unable …
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