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Peter O'Brien

Peter O'Brien is the Principal Solicitor of O'Brien Criminal & Civil Solicitors and Australia's leading expert in intentional torts litigation, with over 25 years of experience securing landmark victories in malicious prosecution and unlawful imprisonment cases. Author of Intentional Tort Litigation in Australia and recipient of the Law Council of Australia President's Medal, Peter has achieved record-breaking compensation for clients and is widely recognised for his unwavering commitment to access to justice.

Drug Supply Prohibition Orders in NSW: The Warrantless Search Power That Was Repealed

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For two years, a person in Bankstown, the Orana Mid-Western area, Coffs-Clarence or the Hunter Valley could be searched by police without a warrant if a Drug Supply Prohibition Order was in force against them. However, that order could be based on a serious drug conviction from the previous 10 years. Importantly, it also did […]

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Australian court house with city in background

Strip Search Leads To Criminal Charges: Viral Reddit Post on WA Woman’s Strip Search

Civil Law / By /

A young woman posted on Reddit that she was arrested, held overnight, and strip searched in WA, even though no one suggested she was hiding anything.  Her question is simple: Was that allowed? The thread is taking off, with hundreds of comments. It quickly lands on an uncomfortable idea: that the “consent” police ask for

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woman distressed looking at phone

NSW’s New Organised Crime Laws Just Passed: ‘Kill Cars’, Child Recruitment and What Actually Changed

crime / By /

The way NSW polices organised crime shifted this year, and most people outside the courts have not caught up with what has changed. In June 2026, the NSW Parliament passed the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Organised and Gang-related Crime Reforms) Act 2026. This is a package the Minns Government says targets the “beating heart” of organised

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a man walking away at night towards a bright office buidling

NSW Strip Search Myths: Why A Drug Dog Alone Isn’t Enough (And The Court Just Said So)

Civil Law, human rights / By /

For years, plenty of festivalgoers walked away from a drug dog sit-down assuming they had no choice. Hand over your ID, follow the officer to the tent, take your clothes off if told to. Many believed that once a dog “indicated,” a strip search was simply what happened next. In September 2025, the NSW Supreme

NSW Strip Search Myths: Why A Drug Dog Alone Isn’t Enough (And The Court Just Said So) Read More »

Nsw police officer with drug sniffer dog

Sydney Assault Rates By Suburb: Where They’re Highest And Lowest (and Why Bondi Tops Bankstown)

crime / By /

Here is a number that will surprise almost everyone who lives in Sydney. Over the year to March 2026, the beachside eastern-suburbs area around Bondi recorded a higher rate of non-domestic assault per resident than Canterbury-Bankstown in the city’s south-west. You read that right. Not a higher total, a higher rate, meaning more recorded incidents

Sydney Assault Rates By Suburb: Where They’re Highest And Lowest (and Why Bondi Tops Bankstown) Read More »

Split image: daytime suburban sidewalk with a person walking a dog, row of houses and trees on the left side (sunny). Right side shows a nighttime urban street with a lone pedestrian under streetlights.

The University of Wollongong ICAC Inquiry: On the Record for Alyssa White

court / By /

The Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) is one of the most demanding forums a person can be asked to front in New South Wales. This week, the University of Wollongong inquiry reached the witness at the centre of it, and O’Brien Criminal & Civil Solicitors is on the record acting for her. Former UOW chief

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a woman walking through a hallway in a courtroom holding files

NSW Police Misconduct: O’Brien Solicitors’ Joint Statement

Civil Law, Assault, Sue Police / By /

NSW police misconduct: A video went viral this week in NSW showing a police officer pushing a homeless man. Since then, it has spread rapidly across social media, drawing widespread condemnation from the public and advocacy groups.  The footage shows an NSW officer physically pushing a man who is experiencing homelessness. The clip has been

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police siren on NSW police car

NSW Consent Laws Explained: What the Affirmative Consent Reforms Mean for Accused Persons

Criminal Defence, Assault / By /

New South Wales overhauled its sexual consent laws in 2021 and brought those changes into effect on 1 June 2022. Four years on, these reforms are reshaping how sexual assault prosecutions run in NSW courts and how accused persons must approach their defence. If you or someone you know is charged with a sexual offence in

NSW Consent Laws Explained: What the Affirmative Consent Reforms Mean for Accused Persons Read More »

The new consent laws in NSW What do they mean

Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Ban: Civil Rights?

Civil Law / By /

Australia has made history as the first country in the world to implement a nationwide social media ban for anyone under 16. The Online Safety Amendment (Social Media Minimum Age) Act 2024 took effect on 10 December 2025, requiring platforms including TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, YouTube, X, Reddit, Threads, Twitch, and Kick to take “reasonable

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