Greyhound racing in NSW is in disarray after allegations made on the ABC’s Four Corners. In short, various trainers and persons involved in the industry were accused of using “live-baiting”. Live baiting refers to a training “technique” where small, defenceless animals and mauled to death by greyhounds. Sometimes the animal is simply released for the dogs to chase down. Other times the animal is tied down. Some believe this makes the greyhounds more aggressive, which then leads to better performances on the racetrack. Live baiting is illegal – but it is […]

The Australian Security Industry Association (ASIAL) is pushing for standardised training requirements across Australia, as figures released by New South Wales police show increased criminal activity amongst security guards over the course of 2014. The numbers show that 164 security guards had their licences revoked in 2014 for committing offences including stealing, assault, stalking and drug offences. Breaking these figures down, 50 guards were convicted of stealing, 44 for assault, 38 for stalking and intimidation and 14 for drug offences. A further 12 licences were revoked for firearms offences and 12 […]

As a lawyer who regularly represents members of the trucking industry, I have watched the growing concern regarding the driver fatigue laws and penalties. The rules are complicated and although the majority of the industry is working hard to educate itself, mistakes will still occur. The potential penalties are severe, people are confused about how those penalties are determined, and what they can do to avoid the harshest ones. In this environment of complicated law and insufficient advice from the authorities, how do the Courts determine a fair penalty for an […]