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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.

What the Charges in Sydney’s $80M Vape and Tobacco Bust Actually Mean

Criminal Defence / By /

On 13 August 2026, investigators from the Multi-Agency Strike Team executed five warrants, dismantling two criminal networks allegedly built on illicit vape and tobacco importation. Seven people have been charged, and the dollar figure attached to the bust? an estimated $80 million.  The charge sheet is the important thing in a case like this. “Directing

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Title banner: Directing a Criminal Group, Proceeds of Crime Charges Explained, with a gavel and scales against a dark, smoky cityscape background.

Police Officer Convicted of Assaulting Our Client During a Sydney Arrest

Assault / By /

Our client was a teenager when he was arrested at the end of a police pursuit in Sydney’s west.  What happened during that arrest left him injured, and led to something that rarely happens in cases against the police. When someone alleges excessive force by police, the officer involved is rarely criminally charged and convicted.

Police Officer Convicted of Assaulting Our Client During a Sydney Arrest Read More »

Police Officer Convicted of Assaulting Our Client During a Sydney Arrest

Illicit Tobacco Charges in NSW: The New Landlord Offence and What Closure Orders Actually Mean

blog / By /

On 1 July 2026, it became a criminal offence in NSW to be a commercial landlord who knowingly lets a tenant sell illicit tobacco or illegal vapes from your building. The maximum penalty? A year in prison, a fine of $165,000, or both. This is a big change. Before that, the legal risk in the

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Closure notice NSW

Privacy Breach in NSW: Your Rights and How to Make a Complaint

Criminal Defence / By /

Finding out that your personal information has been mishandled or used in a way you never agreed to, is an unsettling feeling. If this happens to you, here is what you should do.  You need to understand what the organisation responsible must do, and what you can actually do about the privacy breach.  This guide

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Privacy breach What to do if your privacy has been breached

Drug Supply Prohibition Orders in NSW: The Warrantless Search Power That Was Repealed

blog / By /

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

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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.
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