Civil Law
NSW Sex Crimes Detective Sexually Abuses Teenage Victim of Sexual Assault
When you walk into a police station to report a crime, you are placing your trust in the one institution that is supposed to protect you.…
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587 articles · Page 3 of 49
Criminal Defence
NSW to Abolish Good Character as a Sentencing Factor
NSW Parliament has passed laws abolishing 'good character' as a mitigating factor at sentencing across all criminal offences. The reforms cleared the Legislative Council on the…
Civil Law
NSW Police Misconduct: O’Brien Solicitors’ Joint Statement
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…
Defamation
We Secure Federal Court Win in Cairo Takeaway Defamation Case: Guardian Mention
Our Special Counsel and defamation solicitor, Stewart O'Connell, represented Cairo Takeaway in a Federal Court proceeding that has drawn national media attention, with coverage in The…
crime
NSW New Hate Crime Laws Passed After Dating App Attacks
NSW hate crime laws: In June 2026, the NSW Legislative Council passed the Crimes Legislation Amendment (Hate Crimes) Bill 2026, a significant rewrite of how NSW…
Criminal Defence
NSW Consent Laws Explained: What the Affirmative Consent Reforms Mean for Accused Persons
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…
Civil Law
When The Camera Goes Off: How A NSW Police Officer Tried To Cover Up Our Client’s Unlawful Assault
Unlawful Assault: A NSW Police officer grabbed our client, a handcuffed Aboriginal man, by the neck, forced him face-first to the ground, then turned off his…
Criminal Defence
NSW Covert Stalking Laws 2026: What The New Tracking Device Offences Mean
Updated 6 October 2026: NSW is considering reforms targeting covert stalking and the misuse of tracking devices in certain domestic violence and organised crime contexts. They…
Civil Law
Australia’s Under-16 Social Media Ban: Civil Rights?
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…
Civil Law
52 Deaths in Five Years: NSW Police, Mental Health Crises, and a System Under Scrutiny
In the five years to July 2023, NSW Police killed 52 people who were experiencing mental health crises. That figure, reported by AAP following the broadcast…
Insights
From a Noise Complaint To A Violent Arrest: Seeking Accountability
Suing NSW Police For Excessive Force: In January 2025, Samantha was at her home in Jannali when officers from the New South Wales Police Force attended…
Civil Law
O’Brien Criminal & Civil Solicitors Featured on ABC Four Corners: Brutal Force
On Monday 1 June 2026, ABC Four Corners aired Brutal Force, a landmark investigative journalism program examining NSW Police Misconduct. Our Principal Solicitor, Peter O'Brien, appeared…
