CRIMINAL

What the Children’s Court Is Actually Doing in Queensland — and Why That Matters

Youth justice is one of the most publicly debated and least understood parts of the criminal justice system in Queensland. This piece explains what the Children’s Court is actually being asked to do, and why that task is different from the one many people assume. A child is charged with an offence. The matter goes to court. And the reaction is often immediate: why is this being treated differently from an adult case? Why does the court seem to ask about age, schooling, home l

By Sacha Sarah Smith

crypto scammers not above the law: how victims can fight back

Scams are not new. Financial fraud has long adapted to whatever financial technology, communications channel, or investment narrative is available at the time. Crypto scams are just a newer form of that problem. Crypto scams use familiar patterns of deception such as Ponzi schemes, romance scams, phishing. But the mechanics of crypto scams make detection and recovery difficult: fast, cross-border transactions, pseudonymous addresses, and opaque business platforms. When some

By Dr Aaron Lane

crypto scammers not above the law: how victims can fight back

insider info on australian of the year

In January 2024, the Australian Federal Police laid criminal charges against a Sydney man for allegedly using inside information to place bets on the outcome of the Australian of the Year Awards. The prosecution formed part of a broader investigation known as Operation Maridun, which examined illicit betting activity based on confidential information about award outcomes. The case highlights the application of insider information offences beyond traditional financial markets.

By THE BRIEF EDITORIAL

Bookie gets audited to ensure compliance

Aussies are the biggest punters per head of population in the world, and when placing money on unknown outcomes is done with such frequency and the losses so significant, the construct of that regulated environment must be monitored in partnership with the market markers and regulators through the same lens. The process of regulation is not just about monitoring and identifying the legitimacy of the bet that punters place, but ensuring the wagering system's compliance restric

By CJ DORE

not what you say, but how you say it in a confession

The High Court’s decision in The King v ZT (2025) addresses a question that sits at the centre of modern criminal litigation – how appellate courts must approach cases in which the jury’s verdict rests heavily on recorded evidence. As surveillance material, police interviews and telecommunication intercepts become more prevalent in serious criminal trials, the question of who must listen, who must watch and who may form an evaluative judgment becomes critical. This case place

By THE BRIEF EDITORIAL

The NSW Good Character Bill Gets the Goal Right. The Scope Is the Problem

Let me say something that might surprise you, coming from a criminal defence lawyer: I understand why this Bill exists. The New South Wales Government has introduced the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Amendment (Good Character at Sentencing) Bill 2026, legislation that would abolish good character as a formal mitigating factor at sentencing across every criminal offence in this state. I understand why it exists not as an abstraction, but because I have sat across from the surv

By Peter O'Brien

Operation stonefish captures crypto crime

From the earliest mention of Bitcoin the world of crypto currency has been mysterious and even mythological, given it's true origins and assumed founder, are still debated. Digital currency created fortunes for early adaptors, and a new problem for local law enforcement agencies. When robbing a bank, was done with balaclavas and shotguns, it's now done from another country and only requires a computer. On 17 June 2024, the Melbourne County Court sentenced a 31-year-old Melbou

By THE BRIEF EDITORIAL

it's a numbers game with guilty pleas in nsw

In Sampson v R (2025) NSWCCA 25, the New South Wales Court of Criminal Appeal clarified a narrow but consequential issue in sentencing practice under the Crimes (Sentencing Procedure) Act 1999 (NSW) (CSPA). The Court held that mandatory guilty-plea discounts applied under s 25D of the CSPA must be calculated and expressed with mathematical precision, and cannot be rounded to even months or years after calculation. The decision resolves uncertainty about whether courts may ad

By THE BRIEF EDITORIAL

Crackdowns and raids on illegal tobacco in qld

There has been much reporting in recent media about “crackdowns” and “raids” on businesses throughout South-East Queensland who are alleged to have engaged in the sale of Illegal Tobacco Products and/or Illegal Nicotine Products. background These “raids” have been carried out by Queensland Health in conjunction with the Queensland Police, and were preceded by legislative changes which saw substantial increases to the penalties for individuals and businesses engaged in those

By Zac Reinke

science in the service of justice

Why Forensic Scientists Must Work alongside Lawyers in the Establishment of a Criminal Cases Review Commission Introduction The criminal justice system rests on two pillars of expertise that too often operate in isolation: law and science. Lawyers are trained in procedure, precedent, and advocacy; scientists in methodology, evidence, and the limits of knowledge. A Criminal Cases Review Commission (CCRC), a body charged with identifying and remedying wrongful convictions sits

By Jae Gerhard

The NSW Good Character Bill Gets the Goal Right. The Scope Is the Problem

By Peter O'Brien

$1 million penalty for cartel conduct

As the guardian of fair business practice, the Austrailan Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) has the role of advocating for the paying customer, but all its duties it must build, maintain, and police a liquid marketplace for competitive participants by applying the Competition and Consumer Act 2010 (Cth). In this case the ACCC were in the mode of observing and applying Competition Enforcement. In August 2016, NQCranes entered into a written distributorship agreement w

By THE BRIEF EDITORIAL

ato's operation elbrus busts plutus payroll

Operation Elbrus, commonly referred to as the Plutus Payroll fraud, was one of the largest tax-fraud investigations undertaken in Australia. The operation was led jointly by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) and the Australian Taxation Office (ATO) through the Serious Financial Crime Taskforce (SFCT). The alleged offending read like the most improbable Hollywood script with conspiracy spreading across a web of facades, and lead by caricature-like key players which included

By THE BRIEF EDITORIAL

maritime Museum exhibits how to deal with cyber fraud

In March 2024, a 25‑year-old Sydney man was sentenced at the Central Local Court (NSW) for a scheme of internal cyber-fraud targeting the Australian National Maritime Museum (ANMM). The offender was employed as an IT contractor through a third-party provider and had privileged access to the museum’s accounts payable system. background Cases of financial impropriety among those responsible for the company accounts, trusts, and estates, is long held, but in this case the fruit

By THE BRIEF EDITORIAL

Hc sets the scene for corporate misconduct

The High Court of Australia has delivered a decision that directly addresses how Captain Cook College operated within the VET FEE-HELP system, and who can be held responsible when a corporate system produces widespread consumer harm. In dismissing the college’s appeal, the Court confirmed that Captain Cook College’s recruitment and enrolment model - which resulted in thousands of students incurring substantial VET FEE-HELP debts with little or no educational benefit - constit

By THE BRIEF EDITORIAL

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