Peter O'Brien

Statement from Peter O’Brien, solicitor Court of Appeal declares Black Lives Matter protest is an “authorised public assembly” The New South Wales Court of Appeal has heard an urgent appeal today from the organiser Mr Raul Bassi on behalf of the Vigil for George Floyd and David Dungay. Barristers Mr Stephen Lawrence and Ms Felicity […]

In this article, O’Brien Criminal and Civil Solicitors takes a closer look at Trial by Jury in Australia– where does the concept come from? When did it come to Australia? And how has this changed in the era of COVID-19? A Hypothetical: Your Coronavirus Crime Indulge, albeit momentarily, in something of a Corona-hypothetical. Suppose during the

NSW Law Enforcement Complaints Commission (LECC) only investigated 2% of complaints due to funding cuts. With the pressure of a $6 million budget cut over the next four years, the Commission was struggling to process the rising number of complaints. “Like most other public service organisations, we are consistently required to do more with less,”

In NSW, complaints of misconduct or maladministration within the Police Force are investigated by the Law Enforcement and Complaints Commission (LECC). However, it has been recently revealed that due to funding cuts, only 2% of complaints received were investigated in the last year (2018). With the pressure of a further $6 million budget cut over

The prevalence of unlawful strip-searches conducted by NSW police is an absolute disgrace. A recent UNSW Law School report has revealed 91% of strip searches were conducted by police who suspected a person of drug possession. Under the law, police can only conduct a strip search if they believe there are serious and urgent grounds

The inquest into the death of Naomi Williams, and her unborn child, has highlighted the poor quality and treatment of Indigenous people in Australia’s health system. The inquest, which concluded a couple of weeks ago, sparked several recommendations from a NSW coroner to address the health outcomes of Indigenous people. Deputy State Coroner, Harriet Grahame,