Iranian security forces have accelerated efforts to suppress anti-government protests in the country’s Kurdish region, as nationwide protests persist.

According to Human Rights Activists in Iran (HRA), at least 58 children have been killed in Iran since anti-regime protests broke out two months ago. 46 boys and 12 girls under the age of 18 – some as young as 6 – have been killed by security forces as violence has ensued across the country. This figure is being disputed by Iranian authorities.

Young people are notably at the forefront of these anti-regime protests, which commenced in response to Mahsa Amini’s death in the custody of Iran’s morality police. Not to mention, women, ethnic Kurd and Baluch populations are prominent sects of protests. The deaths of two teenage girls, Nika Shakamari and Sarina Esmailzadeh, who were both allegedly beaten to death by security forces, provoked further outrage from protesters. Again, Iranian authorities contend that Ms Amini’s death was due to pre-existing medical conditions. In addition, Iran’s clerical rulers, including Supreme Leader Ali Hosseini Khamenei, blame foreign adversaries – namely the US and Israel – and armed separatists for perpetuating violence.

UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric urged Iranian authorities to seek to the “legitimate grievances of the population” and condemned “incidents that have resulted in death or serious injury to protesters.” Yet, protests persist with no end in insight: no concession from protesters nor inclination on the government’s part to pursue a pathway towards peace.

If you or someone you know wish to discuss this issue further, then please do not hesitate to contact us on 02 8999 9809.

Parenting coordination is vital for co-parenting and the mental health impacts family matters can have on children. Parental conflict has extreme impacts on the children of the relationship and because of this, divorcing parents must communicate with each other in a healthy manner concerning parenting issues. Parent coordination is the use of an intervention that helps follow a family dispute in court where a parenting coordinator is appointed to assist the parents to navigate and apply the newly placed parenting orders without further disputes arising.

The family’s progress is managed through education, mediation, and case management which helps ensure that the parents fulfill their obligations to their children and comply with the court orders. Research shows that when parents work with a parenting coordinator, it significantly reduces conflicts and disagreements in the future.

Parenting coordination is useful in high-conflict matters where clients continue to re-litigate non-legal issues related to co-parenting arrangements such as changeovers, overnight stays, and shared-parenting time. The use of parenting coordination can benefit multiple people involved in the dispute as through using parenting coordinator, lawyers are able to focus on matters such as the financial side of the case rather then listening to allegations or ongoing stories that each party will talk about in regards to the children.

After using a parenting coordinator, it is less likely that the parents will bring each other back to court as they will have undergone the appropriate education and management that they will be more aware of the effect the disputes have on the child and themselves.

If you or someone you know wish to discuss this issue further, then please do not hesitate to contact us on 02 8999 9809.

The recent death of Queen Elizabeth II has sparked many conversations about Australia’s consensus on possible leaving the commonwealth and becoming a republic. This is something that has been thrown around and discussed a lot in the past as in 1999, the government held a referendum to see if Australia wanted to become a republic. The results for the referendum were that 54% of people wanted to remain apart of the constitution with the Queen remaining as ruler. However, the numbers have since changed as in 2021 a poll suggested that a third of Australia wanted to become a republic and the number is expected to have grown with the Queens passing and the King now in rule.

There are many reasons why the people of Australia want the change to happen. Some of these include the unquestionable liking of Queen Elizabeth II and the way Australia most likely won’t embrace her successor King Charles III and as much as other royals have become more significant and liked by the Australian population, it is unlikely any of them will receive the same treatment that was given to the Queen as they have not been apart of many people lives and involved in Australia’s history as much as the Queen was.

The motion of Australia becoming a republic may already have started as current prime minister Anthony Albanese has appointed an assistant minister for the republic which is seen as the most Australia has done to disentangle from the Commonwealth and the royal family.

However, despite Australia becoming more open to the decision to leave the Commonwealth in recent years, this change is unlikely to happen anytime soon as at the moment there are other things that the government is more focused on right now that can get in the way of the changes such as the government in the works of creating a referendum to amend the constitution to officially recognise First Nations people which is likely to happen in the next year or so. Australia is also currently set to host the 2026 Commonwealth Games which will be a major economic boost as Australia has struggled with gaining back tourism since the pandemic. Despite many countries still participating and hosting the Commonwealth games after leaving the rule of the Queen, it is unlikely Australia will risk making that change for the sake of the economy.

If you or someone you know wish to discuss this issue further, then please do not hesitate to contact us on 02 8999 9809.

The affirmative consent law in Victoria was recently passed to allow the focus of sexual assault matters to shift to trying to get the perpetrators to prove that they gained consent from the victim rather then trying to get the victim to prove they did not provide consent. This reform outlines that the person must have a clear and enthusiastic ‘yes’  which is easily recognisable for the consent to be justified. The ‘yes’ can be anything such as a physical gesture, a verbal yes, or reciprocating a move that makes it obvious the answer is yes.  It states that a person’s belief in consent must be reasonable which will include the steps they took to find out whether their sexual partner consented. Under the reform, the perpetrator must include r demonstrate what steps they too in order to gain consent from the victim which will ensure the attention is focused on their actions to confirm consent rather the what the accuser did, or didn’t do, to deny consent

The new law will ensure that the victim-survivors receive better protection from sexual assault with also making stealthing illegal as well to hep with preventing unwanted pregnancy. Despite the purpose of law being used to help victims of domestic violence, many are saying that the new definition and requirements might make the definition of consent more confusing as the definition is currently open to interpretation as the laws did not say that consent be given continuously through a range of different communication methods of words and actions. It is recommended that the new bill includes some more framework to make it more understandable as well as effective education the allows more people to be aware of the laws and new definitions.

If you or someone you know wish to discuss this issue further, then please do not hesitate to contact us on 02 8999 9809.

On 20 September 2022, NSW introduced “no body no parole” laws, and this bill means offenders must cooperate with investigators and disclose the location of bodily remains for any chance of release on parole. As expressed by Mr Perrottet, this proposed bill would prevent offenders from getting the chance to receive parole if they refused to disclose information about the victim’s remains, providing incentives to speak. This law came about after Chris Dawson’s murder conviction of Lynette Dawson, whose remains have yet to be found.

Parole is the conditional early release of prisoners to be able to serve a part of their sentence in the community. Parole recognises that aims of rehabilitation may be best served by providing opportunities for prisoners to transition back into the community. A case study to assess the effectiveness of ‘no body’ laws can be used through the Queensland’s “no body, no parole” laws which were passed in 2017. A successful example can be seen through the case of Graeme Evans, who was convicted of manslaughter over the death of his former partner Leeann Lapham which compelled him to plead guilty to the offence. The new “no body, no parole” laws would ensure that the offender in prisoner would deeply evaluate their options before they refuse to cooperate with the police.

This law being put into effect would help the families of the victims to attain assurance about the location of their loved ones. This is also dubbed as “Lyn’s Law” which was a reform that hoped to end the torment of loved ones. This petition started on September 12, 2022 and reached 30,000 signatures in seven days. In prison right now, there are estimated to be 6 murderers who could be affected by the proposed changes.

Once this legislation is passed, NSW would be able to be up to speed with the laws from other states, including Queensland, WA, SA, Victoria and the Northern Territory where offenders can be refused parole if they refuse to disclose their victims’ remains.

If you or someone you know wish to discuss this issue further, then please do not hesitate to contact us on 02 8999 9809.

Elon Musk’s tenure atop Twitter is being characterized by dysfunction, chaos and an abundance of layoffs, ordering widespread staff cuts at Twitter around the world a fortnight ago. Many are speculating that as many as half of its 7,500 staff could lose their jobs. At present, the company has laid off about half of its full-time staff. Musk has defended the extraordinary layoffs by stating that redundant employees received a three-month payment from the company.

Layoffs continued over the weekend with thousands of contractors being reportedly laid off with little to no warning. Casey Newtown, a tech reporter noted on Sunday that 4,400 of Twitter’s 5,500 contract employees were terminated. Rather than receiving a warning, contractors were merely denied further access to Slack and their emails. Unsurprisingly, such mass cuts were ‘expected to have significant impact to content moderation and the core infrastructure services’ pivotal to the site’s functioning.

These developments raise questions – and concerns – about how the world’s richest man intends on effectively operating the social media service, in conjunction with his ambitious plans to take it to “new heights”. Rarely have layoffs of this magnitude been made at a tech company by a single individual. While some may note that the scale was not unprecedented, the way in which layoffs have been done so quickly without detailed explanation to workers – about who was being laid off and why – is equally baffling as it is disheartening.

Musk is already facing legal challenges, with five former Twitter workers filing a class-action lawsuit against the company for the lack of notice provided. California and federal laws in the United States require companies to notify employees in advance of mass layoffs.

If you or someone you know wish to discuss this issue further, then please do not hesitate to contact us on 02 8999 9809.

Content Warning: The following article contains information regarding sexual assault.

Sexual assault is the legal term that encompasses a range of sexual offences committed against a person. Circumstances range from showing indecent images to another person, to kissing or touching them, in addition to penetration of another person’s body with a body part or object.

Offences often used synonymously with sexual assault include:

The law on this is outlined in Part 3, Division 10, 10B, 15B and 15C of the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW).

While the terminology is commonly used, the common law offence of rape was scrapped in New South Wales in 1981.

The Women’s Legal Service NSW have compiled the following table which clearly maps out the distinction between offences:

Offence What does it mean? Penalty
Sexual Act (s 61KE) A person shows you their penis or masturbates/touches their penis in public;

A person makes you look at porn (sexual pictures or videos) in a magazine, on a computer, phone or on television;

A person sends your naked picture to other people or posts it online (sexting or cyber-bullying may fit in this category but are also a separate offence); or

Any other sexual act that would make most people feel very uncomfortable.

It is not necessary to show that it caused fear/distress.

Carries up to 18-months imprisonment or a $5,500 fine, or both
Sexual touching (section 61KC) A person touches you in a sexual way on your breasts, vagina or anus;

Includes touching over the top of or under your clothing that does not penetrate in any way;

Kissing; or

A person makes you touch their penis, vagina or anus.

Carries a maximum penalty of 5-years’ imprisonment in the District Court, and up to 2-years’ imprisonment in the Local Court
Sexual Assault (section 61I) A person has sexual intercourse with you when you do not want to, or you cannot consent; and

That person knows you do not want to or cannot consent or has no reasonable grounds to believe you consented.

Carries up to 14-years’ imprisonment. Standard non-parole period of 7-years imprisonment.
Aggravated Sexual Assault (section 61J) A person has sexual intercourse with you without your consent in aggravating circumstances. Carries up to 20-years’ imprisonment

What does ‘sexual intercourse’ mean?

Sexual intercourse involves:

Legally, sexual intercourse tends to involve some form of penetration by genitals, object or body parts into the mouth or genitals of another.

Aggravating circumstances include:

If you or someone you know wish to discuss this issue further, then please do not hesitate to contact us on 02 8999 9809.

The transition to a new Albanese government has shifted the focus to introducing a plan to deliver 10 days domestic violence leave for workers. If this is passed, the changes to employment law would ensure that any Australian worker, regardless of work type, would be supported when leaving domestic abusive relationships.

Hence, this law to introduce family and domestic violence leave for 10 days would ensure that survivors are being protected, and empowers them within the workspace, tying closely to his mantra of “No one held back, and no one left behind.”

The Labor government’s goals for the family law system seeks to be “accessible, safe, properly resourced, simpler to use, and deliver justice and fairness”, demonstrating the importance of maintaining worker’s safety and also children’s safety.

It has been stated that on average, one woman a week is murdered by her current or former partner. Therefore, this new provision would offer individuals, particularly women in abusive relationships, the chance to protect themselves, and their children without compromising financial losses as they get paid domestic violence leave.

It is stated that to leave a violent relationship, it costs $18,000 on average in a year. Paid domestic violence leave would ease the significant cost burdens that are associated with escaping from a violent relationship. This links closely to domestic social worker Samantha Parker’s comment about the ability for this new employment law would save lives, since it enables more women to feel empowered to leave these abusive relationships.

If you or someone you know wish to discuss this issue further, then please do not hesitate to contact us on 02 8999 9809.

Uncle Jack Charles was an Aboriginal activist, musician and actor. He was a man from The Boon Wurrung, Dja Dja Wurrung, Woiwurrung, and Yorta Yorta people. Jack Charles was forcibly taken from his mother when he was still a baby and soon after, he was assigned a criminal record. Charles experienced sexual abuse as a child while he was in care of the state. Unfortunately, due to the state he was brought up in full of despair and discrimination, Charles relied upon heroin and crime which left him to be incarcerated 21 times from the age of 16. He eventually discovered and developed an immense passion for theatre and acting. Due to this, he co-founded Australia’s first indigenous-run theatre company named ‘Nindethene’ which means ‘place for a corroboree’.

When Charles was two years old, he was sent to Box Hill boys Home where he lived until he was 14. He was mocked about his skin colour and race as he was the only registered Aboriginal boy there. Due to this, he became whitewashed of his family and culture. Eventually Charles’ family was scrutinised for the program ‘Who do you think you are’. He was aware that he was one of 13 siblings so he managed to track down 5 of his siblings and his mother. Unfortunately, Charles knew nothing of his father, however due to the program, Charles learnt that his father was a snappy dressing Yorta Yorta man named Hilton Hamilton Walsh. Charles was named Naidoc's Male Elder of the Year in 2022 and was awarded the Tudawali award in 2009 which was given to him to honour his lifetime of contribution to indigenous media

Uncle Jack Charles sadly passed away at the age of 79 after spending his life being an influence to many Australians and making immense improvements to out justice system.

If you or someone you know wish to discuss this issue further, then please do not hesitate to contact us on 02 8999 9809.

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