Iconic Sydney protester Danny Lim has been brightening the lives of city commuters for years now with his sandwich board signs emblazoned with colourful political messages designed to make a point as well as produce a smile from the passersby. However, last Friday morning, several NSW police officers decided it was time to give the former ...
Category: Offensive Language / Conduct
What is the Law on Offensive Language in NSW?
Earlier this month, a jury in the state of Michigan acquitted a man of violating a noise ordinance after he allegedly blasted the NWA song ‘Fuck tha Police’ when pulled over by a Sheriff’s Deputy in front of a petrol station. A witness to the incident testified that after the man was pulled over, he ...
Man Sacked for Wearing ‘Willy Warmer’ in the Workplace
A 33-year old pallet repairer in the United Kingdom who paraded through his workplace wearing an “elephant thong willy warmer”, a high visibility vest and boots has been dismissed for ‘gross misconduct’. Shaun Haggerty from Merseyside in England walked through the warehouse after being dared by a co-worker. “It was one of the lads [who] ...
Tough New Laws Against Hate Speech
By Zeb Holmes and Ugur Nedim The NSW government is proposing to introduce new laws designed to crack down on hate speech and racial vilification that are intended to incite violence. Under the proposed new laws, those who incite or threaten violence against others on the grounds of race, religion, sexual orientation or HIV status ...
What Is Considered ‘Offensive’ Under NSW Criminal Law?
Offensive conduct is a frequently prosecuted crime in NSW. Section 4 of the Summary Offences Act 1988 provides that “a person must not conduct himself or herself in an offensive manner in or near, or within view or hearing from, a public place or a school.” The offence is different to ‘offensive language’ which is ...
12 Reasons to Choose Sydney Criminal Lawyers®
Being prosecuted for a criminal or traffic offence can be a nerve-wracking experience. You may be unfamiliar with the process, unsure of the best way forward and concerned about the outcome. But whether you are charged with a less-serious matter such as drug possession, drink driving or common assault, or accused of something as serious ...
Sydney Man Appeals Conviction for Swearing
By Zeb Holmes and Ugur Nedim A Sydney man was arrested for swearing at a NSW police officer, and is now fighting his Local Court conviction for using offensive language. When 29-year-old Filip Black was stopped by police, they asked him what he was doing in the area and he replied, “none of your fucking ...
Precious Police Officer Arrests Heckler
Video footage has been published of a NSW detective inspector giving a press conference outside Albury police station when an apparently intoxicated man walks from across the street with a beer in his hand and yells “bullshit”. The seasoned officer is so incensed by the taunt that he walks away from the cameras, confronts the man and ...
The Cop Who Helped Reduce Street Crime
By Sonia Hickey and Ugur Nedim Rather than employing heavy-handed tactics and a punitive approach when dealing with anti-social teens, police in the Western Sydney suburb of Blacktown have been tackling youth crime a different way. And the results speak for themselves. When police superintendent Mark Wright first took up his post in Blacktown many ...
Judge Tells Defendant “You’re a bit of a c**t yourself”
Judges are meant to have thick-skins, and are frequently disrespected by defendants who cannot contain their anger or feel they have nothing more to lose. But one judge stunned Chelmsford Crown Court in the UK by giving as good as she got. Judge Patricia Lynch QC had just sentenced 50-year old John Hennigan to 18 ...