Criminal Defence
Northern Territory Royal Commission: Day One
Day One of the Royal Commission wasn’t day one in any substantive sense – it was merely a directions hearing, the purpose of which was “to inform…
The O’Brien blog
Criminal Defence
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205 articles · Page 15 of 18
rehabilitation
Juvenile Justice Done Wrong, and How to Do It Right
Before the Northern Territory Royal Commission begins in October, let’s take a short breather to remind ourselves what it is we’re examining. Don Dale showed us…
Criminal Defence
Australia’s Shame: An ABC 4 Corners investigation with O’Brien Solicitors
Australia's Shame: We're very proud to have worked with Caro Meldrum-Hanna and the 4 Corners team on this exposé of child abuse within Northern Territory juvenile detention.…
Criminal Defence
Under cross-examination, ADF Vice-Chief admits guilt of institution
During cross-examination by Peter O’Brien, Vice-Chief Ray Griggs talked openly about the ADF’s failure to protect victims of child sexual abuse. Griggs’ comments came on the…
Media and Press Releases
Media, Misinformation and Punitiveness: The Unholy Trinity
Take a group, and split it into two. Each half is asked to comment on a case. The first group gets their information about the case…
Criminal Defence
Criminal Justice During Elections
The best way to talk about justice during an election is not at all. The event that prompts me to write this is Trump’s atrocious attack…
Criminal Defence
New Police Powers Create New Scope for Abuse
New South Wales has never had full individual freedom – full freedom doesn’t exist anywhere, in any society. The trick of governance has always been to…
Criminal Defence
Prison Bottleneck: Unsentenced Prisoners
I’m going to roll out some statistics and make some correlations – stop me if you’ve heard them before. Nationally, the number of prisoners is on…
child abuse
Royal Commission: Peter O’Brien Examines Cardinal Pell
Last Thursday, Peter O'Brien assisted the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse during the questioning of Cardinal George Pell. Peter’s examination was remarkable for…
Criminal Defence
Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Hippies : Roadside Drug Test Charges
The NSW police’s system of roadside drug testing (RDT) is a poorly justified encroachment on the freedoms of the individual. Similar to random breath testing, RDTs randomly…
Criminal Defence
The Politics of Fear (Part II: All Extremists are the Same)
With further counter-terrorism arrests carried out in Sydney this morning, I expect the same tired tensions bubble to the surface. Hiding behind the thin rhetoric of…
prison
Security Classifications of Life-Prisoners
I’ve said this too many times: when the criminal justice system is forced to kow-tow to the rants of the media, bad decisions ensue. Victim's mother…
