NSW: highest number of Indigenous deaths in custody ever recorded in a single year
In 2025, New South Wales has already seen 12 Indigenous people die while in custody, marking the highest number ever recorded in a single year.
State Coroner Teresa O’Sullivan described the milestone as “profoundly distressing,” emphasising that these are not mere statistics but individual lives, and declared that each death “demands independent and careful scrutiny.”
High Court Backs AFP Use of AN0M App in Operation Ironside
The High Court of Australia has upheld the use of encrypted-app evidence collected by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) during Operation Ironside, ruling that messages obtained through the AN0M app were lawfully used and that Parliament’s “confirmation law” validating that evidence is constitutionally sound.
Australia Proposes Expansion of ASIO Interrogation Powers
The federal government is moving to expand ASIO’s compulsory questioning powers. This raises serious concerns about civil liberties and legal protections.
NSW Supreme Court rules NSW Police Illegally Strip Searched & assaulted woman
A NSW woman has won $93,000 after the NSW Supreme Court ruled her strip search unlawful.
Then NSW Police Officer guilty of fabricating evidence; Man wins over $450,000 for wrongful imprisonment
The Supreme Court of NSW has awarded more than $450,000 in damages to Mr. Luke Moore, who was wrongfully jailed for three weeks as a result of a then NSW police officer’s false statement.
Justice Delayed: Mr Irving Wins Malicious Prosecution Case, 32 Years On
The Supreme Court of Queensland has awarded $130,000 in damages to Indigenous man Mr Terry Irving, more than three decades after he was first wrongfully charged by police.
Court finds Police Used Excessive Force on Aboriginal Man in Wheelchair
Judge Macdonald of the Darwin Magistrates’ Court found that Senior Constable Abbas used “clearly and obviously excessive, unreasonable and unlawful” force when he dragged Aboriginal man Mr Cebu from his wheelchair at the Palmerston markets.
Concerned about an elderly or vulnerable adult in your life? Contact the Adult Safeguarding Unit in South Australia
What You Need to Know About the Adult Safeguarding Unit in South Australia
SAPOL search powers expanded
New SAPOL knife search laws allow police to use metal detectors in public places. Learn your rights and how these changes affect young people in SA.
Unfinished Business: ALRM’s Review of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody
In July 2025, the Aboriginal Legal Rights Movement (ALRM) released its report Unfinished Business: A Review of the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody (RCIADIC).
2025 updated Knife and Weapons Laws in South Australia
Here are the 2025 updates to the knife and weapons laws in South Australia
![When “Inappropriate” Isn’t Always “Indecent”: Lessons from Police v Hill [2025] SASC 127](https://images.squarespace-cdn.com/content/v1/67d4efd366c0dd37765b8d3d/1758182431311-6NYEY8AXOPUBYIQPA4EY/unsplash-image-sEUAJeFn5mE.jpg)
When “Inappropriate” Isn’t Always “Indecent”: Lessons from Police v Hill [2025] SASC 127
The Supreme Court of South Australia recently handed down their decision in Police v Hill [2025] SASC 127, which highlights the fine line between “inappropriate workplace behaviour” and what the law recognises as a criminal indecent assault.
NSW Coroner Calls for Better Prison–Family Communication After Mr. Brown’s Death
A recent coronial inquest into the tragic death in custody of 28-year-old Lathan Brown has highlighted a glaring failure in how NSW Correctional Services notified his family during his final hours.
Review into Legal Definition of “Terrorist Act”
The Australian Government has launched an independent review into how the law defines a terrorist act amid concerns about the radicalisation of young people and the rise of new, violent ideologies.
Then NSW police officers jailed for pepper-spraying, stomping and dragging woman during welfare check
Two former NSW Police officers pleaded guilty to multiple charges including assault occasioning actual bodily harm in company, common assault, and misusing a prohibited weapon.