Nicole Byrne

A Protest Sentencing bill has been introduced in the NSW Parliament that, if passed, would prohibit courts from imposing a custodial sentence for any non-violent act committed in the course of a demonstration, protest, procession, or assembly. Introduced in the Legislative Assembly in 2025 and progressing through parliament, its passage is not yet certain. However,

NSW’s domestic violence laws have undergone fundamental reform. The Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 introduces some of the toughest protections for domestic violence victims in the state’s history, alongside significantly tougher constraints on those accused of serious domestic violence offences. If you are facing charges, a key change now

We have been made aware that the domain obriensolicitors-au[.]com was recently registered using our business name. This domain has no affiliation with O’Brien Solicitors whatsoever, and we are pleased to confirm it has now been taken down. This type of activity is an increasingly common scam targeting law firms across Australia. We were advised by

Bondi Junction Inquest: On 5 February 2026, NSW State Coroner Magistrate Teresa O’Sullivan handed down her comprehensive findings into the deaths at Westfield Bondi Junction on 13 April 2024. The findings, comprising more than 800 pages, make 23 systemic recommendations and refer the treating psychiatrist to the Health Ombudsman for professional conduct review. This article

The conversation around artificial intelligence in law has been loud, fast-moving, and not always honest. As a practitioner across criminal, civil, and defamation law, I’ve watched the industry narrative shift from cautious curiosity to something approaching evangelism, and I think it’s worth applying the same scrutiny to that narrative that we’d apply to any claim

Last year, our civil solicitor, Anavi Arya, represented a victim of Jason Melbom, a Sydney inmate who escaped from Long Bay Correctional Complex. He carried out a violent crime spree through the city’s eastern suburbs, attacking and terrorising people in their own homes. Melbom was serving a 22-year sentence at the Malabar facility when he

NSW Police Wanding Powers: Fresh enforcement figures released this month show NSW Police have conducted 34 wanding operations across metropolitan and regional New South Wales, scanning 4,147 people, seizing 91 unlawful weapons and charging 67 people with a total of 71 weapons offences. The figures, covering the first year of operation of the state’s expanded