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
AI In Legal World: Where The Profession Really Stands Read More »
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 Public Assembly Restriction Declaration: The NSW Court of Appeal has declared invalid a set of amendments associated with the Public Assembly Restriction Declaration (PARD) regime. This particular regime had expanded the NSW Police Commissioner’s power to restrict assemblies in designated areas across the state. On 16 April 2026, a three-judge bench of the NSW
NSW Court Of Appeal Declares PARD Amendments Invalid Read More »
Australia’s most decorated soldier, Ben Roberts-Smith, has been arrested and charged with five counts of war crime, murder, in relation to three alleged incidents during the Afghanistan conflict. Today, he has been released on bail. The charges mark a significant moment in a process that began years earlier, when Afghan families first brought their accounts
We’re shining a light on a case that exposes what can happen when the very people entrusted to protect vulnerable individuals abuse that trust, and what the law can do when the system fails to act. Our client was a recovering addict in a NSW prison. Her abuser, Wayne Astill, was her senior correctional officer.
Justice For Survivor Of Wayne Astill Read More »
This week, the NSW Government introduced legislation to Parliament that would create new criminal offences targeting hate‑motivated attacks against the LGBTQIA+ community. The proposed new hate crime laws are significant, and anyone charged under these provisions, or anyone concerned about how they may be applied, needs to understand exactly what has changed. This legislation follows
NSW Introduces New Hate Crime Laws Targeting LGBTQIA+ Luring Offences Read More »
Mental health welfare checks are one of the most common reasons police attend residential properties across New South Wales. In many cases, they are lifesaving. But they also represent a situation where the legal boundaries of police power are frequently misunderstood, and sometimes crossed. When police act outside the authority the law grants them, the
Police Welfare Checks in NSW: What the Law Allows Read More »
Alcohol-fuelled “king hit” assaults in Sydney led to some of the most significant criminal law and liquor licensing reforms in New South Wales. In recent history, the now-infamous CBD and Kings Cross lockout laws and the creation of specific “one‑punch” offences. Against that backdrop, common assault remains one of the most frequently charged offences in
One-Punch & Lockout Laws in Sydney: A History Read More »
When serious criminal charges are brought without proper foundation, the consequences can be devastating. Our Sydney criminal defence lawyer, Peter O’Brien, principal of O’Brien Criminal & Civil Solicitors, recently acted in one of New South Wales’ most high-profile wrongful prosecution claims. We secured a confidential damages settlement for Ben Batterham. The case drew national and
Peter O’Brien Secures Wrongful Prosecution Settlement for Newcastle Homeowner Read More »
