Defamation
It’s Not Defamation. So How Did the ABC Just Get Gagged From Publishing Private Messages?
Most people assume that suing for defamation is the only way to stop a media outlet from publishing something about you. A lot of people also…
The O’Brien blog
News, insights
& your rights.
Perspectives from our team on criminal law, civil rights and defamation. Making sense of the stories, decisions and issues that matter.
Explore the blog
Articles — page 2
587 articles · Page 2 of 49
Assault
Police Officer Convicted of Assaulting Our Client During a Sydney Arrest
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…
blog
Illicit Tobacco Charges in NSW: The New Landlord Offence and What Closure Orders Actually Mean
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…
Criminal Defence
Privacy Breach in NSW: Your Rights and How to Make a Complaint
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…
blog
Drug Supply Prohibition Orders in NSW: The Warrantless Search Power That Was Repealed
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…
Civil Law
Strip Search Leads To Criminal Charges: Viral Reddit Post on WA Woman’s Strip Search
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. …
crime
Deaths in Custody in NSW: Criminal Charges Explained
This article refers to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who have died. It is shared with respect for their families and communities. A person who…
Defamation
Rebel Wilson Defamation Case: Can It Be Appealed? Defamation Expert Stewart O’Connell Weighs In
The ABC recently approached our Special Counsel and Head of our Defamation practice, Stewart O’Connell to get an expert view on the recent Rebel Wilson defamation…
crime
NSW’s New Organised Crime Laws Just Passed: ‘Kill Cars’, Child Recruitment and What Actually Changed
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,…
Civil Law
NSW Strip Search Myths: Why A Drug Dog Alone Isn’t Enough (And The Court Just Said So)
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…
crime
Sydney Assault Rates By Suburb: Where They’re Highest And Lowest (and Why Bondi Tops Bankstown)
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…
court
The University of Wollongong ICAC Inquiry: On the Record for Alyssa White
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,…
