CrimNet

19 July 2023

Meet the author | Reimagining Desistance from Male-Perpetrated Intimate Partner Violence: The role and experiences of female victims-survivors

24 August 2023; 6:00 PM - 7:15 PM 

Despite decades of research, our understanding of IPV desistance processes is very limited. In particular, understanding of the mechanisms that may account for why some men ‘stop’ abusing their partners and others persist, is under-developed. Because IPV occurs within a dyadic and domestic context, women who are subjected to IPV are not only in a unique position to observe their partner’s behaviours (and how they change over time), but also to implement strategies to initiate and support their partner’s desistance.

Institute Director, Dr. Carolyn McKay’s ‘Crime Scene Motel Project’ exhibition recently received the 2023 ‘Non-Traditional Research Output Award’ from the Australian Legal Research Awards, a prestigious national scheme funded by the Council of Australian Law Deans. Read more here. 

Art exhibition for 'Crime Scene Motel Project' was installed in the Law Library of The University of Sydney Law School.  

Title of work: Floating Between Couches & Motels

Date: 2023

Medium: neon flex signs, party lights, calico, dimensions variable

Artist: Dr. Carolyn McKay

‘Floating Between Couches & Motels’ responds to McKay’s criminal law research into crimes in motel rooms. Each neon sign presents a fractured narrative or snippet of forensic evidence appropriated from criminal case law regarding motels. As crime scenes, motels conflate intimacy, privacy and anonymity with a world of transience, motor vehicles, strangers, lawlessness, sex and the uncanny. The neon flex evokes a lost optimism of the mid-century motels McKay visited during her research, sapped of lurid colour. The party lights suggest good-times gone bad and enhance the ghostly white glow of the room.

This 2023 art installation builds on McKay’s 2022 ‘Crime Scene Motel Project’ that explores the unique, but overlooked, situational and spatial elements of motels that enable transgression. Using University of Sydney’s Herbert Smith Freehills Law Library resources, McKay conducted extensive online legal research of criminal case law and retrieved hundreds of cases from Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the US regarding motel crime. This legal research revealed motels as scenes for murder, assault, sexual violence, child abuse, clandestine drug labs, robbery and as hideouts for fugitives from the law – knowledge suppressed by motel operators. As a whole, the project contributes to understanding offending and victimization in these private-but-publicly shared rooms, as published in: McKay, C. (2022) ‘Who’s been sleeping in my bed? Cheap motel rooms and transgression’ in ‘Ghost Criminology: The Afterlife of Crime and Punishment’ (Fiddler, M., Kindynis, T. & Linnemann, T. (eds); New York University Press).

6 neon signs:

Floating between Couches & Motels

In the Dream Test

Haven of Human Misery

Anonymity on the Cheap

The Motel had a Reputation 

Synonymous with Crime

Should lawyers care about neurotechnology? 

Institute Deputy Director, Dr. Allan McCay co-authored an article, discussing whether lawyers should care about neurotechnology and the need for it. Read it here. 

Black mirrow lawyering

What role might sci-fi have for lawyers? Dr. McCay talks about why lawyers should care about the tech-infused dystopias that often feature in series. Read it here. 

The Peter Brett Memorial Lecture 2023, The University of Melbourne Law School

17 August 2023, 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM 

Institute member, Professor Arlie Loughnan has been invited to present at The Peter Brett Memorial Lecture 2023. The theme is , 'Living on in the Law: Naming Laws after Homicide Victims.' In recent decades, in Australia, a number of laws have been named after victims of crime. In this lecture, Professor Arlie Loughnan points to this practice as a fascinating aspect of the making of criminal law. Register here. 

ABC Radio Hobart interviewed Institute member, Dr Christopher Rudge about disgraced surgeon Charlie Teo’s guilty verdict. Listen here. 

ABC News interviewed Dr Christopher Rudge about disgraced surgeon Charlie Teo’s guilty verdict. Listen here. 

The Conversation published an article by Dr Christopher Rudge about ruling against neurosurgeon Charlie Teo, and what happens when doctors don’t act appropriately. Read here. 

Yahoo! News syndicated the story published by The Conversation. Read here. 

ABC Radio Canberra interviewed Dr Christopher Rudge about the Royal Commission verdict for Robodebt. Listen here. 

Emeritus Professor Terry Carney AO is Emeritus Professor of Law at the University of Sydney Law School, where he was a long-serving Director of Research and past Head of Department.

A Fellow of the Australian Academy of Law, he is a past President (2005-2007) of the International Academy of Law and Mental Health, and chaired Commonwealth bodies such as the National Advisory Council on Social Welfare and of the Board of the Institute of Family Studies, along with various State enquiries on child welfare, adult guardianship and health law. 

He has served for nearly 40 years as a member of the Social Services and Child Support Division of the Administrative Appeals Tribunal and its predecessor the Social Security Appeals Tribunal.

"An outrageous, catastrophic failure of executive government": Institute member, Professor Emeritus Terry Carney, was interviewed by ABC News about Robodebt. Listen here. 

ABC Radio Canberra interviewed Professor Emeritus Terry Carney about the commission into Robodebt. Listen here.

ABC News Sydney Weekend Breakfast interviewed Emeritus Professor Terry Carney about the recommendations from the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme. Listen here.

ABC Radio National also interviewed Emeritus Professor Terry Carney about the recommendations from the Royal Commission into the Robodebt Scheme. Listen here.

'Public officials could face jail time over robodebt scandal''

The Canberra Times quoted Professor Emeritus Terry Carney about the Robodebt investigation. Read here. 

'Robodebt critic vindicated in royal commission findings' 

The Canberra Times mentioned Professor Emeritus Terry Carney in an article about the Robodebt Commission findings report. Read here. 

'Robodebt royal commission final report to be handed down – with Liberals in crosshairs'

The New Daily interviewed Professor Emeritus Terry Carney about Robodebt. Read here. 

The 2023/24 Criminal Law CPD Series, presented by the Sydney Institute of Criminology, is an innovative educational program made up of 8 recorded webinars.

Our series covers a wide range of criminal law topics, including criminal procedure, evidence law, and criminal advocacy. Led by experienced legal professionals, our webinars are designed to help you stay up to date with the latest developments in criminal law and earn your mandatory CPD points.

A new webinar will be released each month from April to November and will include a quiz to test your comprehension of the material being discussed.  

Register now for the full series or individual webinars and enjoy the flexibility of watching at your own pace from any location at any time.  

Information for lawyers and barristers
If this educational activity is relevant to your professional development and practice of the law, then you should claim 1.5 MCLE/CPD points per seminar attended.

Practitioners are advised to check with the CPD governing body in their jurisdiction for the most accurate and up-to-date information. Find out about interstate accreditation.

Cost: Full series (8 x webinars) = $300 
Individual webinar(s) = $50

Non-consensual sexual offence law reform in Western Australia

Substantive Law 

Dr Andrew Dyer -  Available now

The Attorney-General of Western Australia has asked that State’s Law Reform Commission to review Western Australia’s sexual offence laws. In December 2022, the Commission published a Discussion Paper that deals with the law relating to sexual consent and the operation of honest and reasonable mistake of fact in non-consensual sexual offence proceedings. This seminar will consider the various reform options. 

Vulnerable witness advocacy

Practice Management and Business Skills, Ethics and professional responsibility

Philip Hogan -  Available now

This seminar will discuss the definition of a vulnerable witness in the Criminal Procedure Act 1986 (NSW) and the provisions in the Act that allow for the use of pre-recorded evidence and provide for other alternative means of giving evidence. The seminar will particularly consider the way a complainant’s evidence is adduced in the Child Sexual Assault Program operating in some NSW courts. There will also be some discussion of Evidence Act 1995 (NSW) provisions that may be relevant to the evidence of a vulnerable witness. Finally, the seminar will cover relevant provisions of the Equality before the Law Bench Book and some findings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. 

Digital vulnerability: Vulnerable individuals and remote access technologies in justice

Ethics and professional responsibility. Professional skills. Practice Management. 

Dr Carolyn McKay - Available now

This seminar will focus on the use of remote access technologies, such as audiovisual links, when working with vulnerable individuals in the justice system, and the developing concept of ‘digital vulnerability’. The seminar will draw on Dr McKay’s current Australian Research Council (‘ARC’) funded research and examine the multiple layers of vulnerability that individuals may experience while involved in legal matters. It will present preliminary findings from initial fieldwork interviews with lawyers and judicial officers that reveal critical perspectives on the impacts of digitalisation on vulnerable people in the justice system. While the research project and findings centre on the criminal justice system, many of the issues are equally relevant to legal practitioners working with vulnerable people in civil matters. 

Assessing witness credibility: Is it possible to tell whether someone is lying or telling the truth?

Substantive law. Professional skills.

Associate Professor Helen Paterson - Available 27 July 2023

Witness testimony can be extremely influential in legal investigations and trials; however, sometimes witnesses lie. Such deception can be detrimental to due process, and can result in miscarriages of justice. Thus, it is important for legal personnel and factfinders to be able to determine whether someone is lying or telling the truth. This interactive seminar will discuss research investigating behavioural and content indicators of deception. It will help legal practitioners understand the difficulties in discriminating liars from truth-tellers as well as the evidence base for various lie detection techniques. 

Should Deceptive Sex Always Be Rape? Dr Andrew Dyer - Substantive Law

The Role of the Crown Prosecutor in NSW Mr Brett Hatfield Practice - Management and Business Skills, Ethics and professional responsibility

The Reliability and Credibility of Eyewitnesses Associate Professor Helen Paterson - Substantive Law

Ethical Practice for Junior Criminal Law Barristers Ms Talitha Hennessy - Ethics and professional responsibility

Myths, Misconceptions and Mixed Messages: An Early Look at the New Tendency and Coincidence Evidence Provisions Professor David Hamer - Substantive Law

Advocacy in the NSW Court of Criminal Appeal Mr John Stratton SC - Professional Skills

The Work of the Mental Health Review Tribunal Judge Paul Lakatos SC - Professional Skills

Current Issues in Criminal Justice (CICJ) provides detailed analysis of national and international issues by a range of outstanding contributors. It includes contemporary comments, with discussion at the cutting edge of the crime and justice debate, as well as reviews of recently released books.

CICJ accepts submissions on a rolling basis.

Editor: Dr Justin Ellis, member of the Sydney Institute of Criminology

You can access current and previous issues of Current Issues in Criminal Justice here.

If you have a book suitable for review by CICJ, please email the books editor, Celine Van Golde at celine.vangolde@sydney.edu.au

Legal Words for Interpreters and Bilingual Workers - Criminal Law Words; Legal Aid NSW

7 August 2023; 12:30 PM- 4:00 PM

In a face to face event, an experienced Legal Aid NSW criminal lawyer will explain some common and complex legal terminology in the area of criminal law. There will also be an opportunity to ask questions.

The target audience is interpreters and bilingual workers, especially those who are new to working in legal and court settings. However, any workers who support people in the community are welcome to join. Register here. 

Seminar: Amplifying the voices and rights of our children; Outcomes Practice Evidence Network 

20 July 2023; 12:30 PM - 3 PM 

The OPEN team are excited to launch their inaugural Seminar: Amplifying the voices and rights of our children: Research, practice and panel discussion. The recent findings of the Australian Child Maltreatment Study provides added weight for the importance this topic.

Learn from researchers at the University of Melbourne on their work with lived experience consultants to gain insights into the service experience of children bereaved by domestic homicide. Register here.

Sensing the Carceral State: The Curative-Carceral Boundary and the Making of Prison Land; UNSW Centre for Crime, Law and Justice 

4 August 2023, 12:00 PM - 1:30 PM

In this seminar, Dr Emma Russell (La Trobe) and Dr Poppy de Souza (UNSW) map out the conceptual framework for their current book project, ‘Sensing the Carceral State’, and share preliminary analyses from two working chapters. The book seeks to develop a multidisciplinary, anti-carceral and decolonial framework to understand how space and the senses are integral to the organised violence and contemporary transformations of the carceral state. Register here. 

Criminal Law Conference; Legal Aid NSW

2 August 2023 to 4 August 2023 

The Legal Aid NSW Criminal Law Conference is the premier professional development event for criminal lawyers in NSW.  

In 2023, an impressive range of speakers will provide valuable insights from the Bench, broaden your knowledge and arm you with the tools to strengthen the way you practise and represent your clients. Register here. 

Solicitor in Charge - Legal Officer Grade VI at Tamworth; Legal Aid NSW

Applications close: 23 July 2023 

Legal Aid NSW is seeking an experienced solicitor who lead and supervise the solicitors and administrative team within the office, whilst maintaining a legal practice. See here. 

Law Clerkship Program; Department of Communities and Justice NSW

Applications close: 30 July 2023 

Department of Communities and Justice are seeking a law student studying in penultimate or final year of a law degree for their law clerkship program. See here. 

Investigator; Department of Education NSW

Applications close: 23 July 2023 

Are you a skilled investigator looking for a challenging and rewarding role? Department of Education is currently building a talent pool for future temporary and ongoing positions in the Professional and Ethical Standards (PES) Directorate. As an Investigator, you will play a crucial role in responding to allegations of misconduct and ensuring ethical standards are upheld within the organisation. See here. 

Correctional Officer; Correctional Service NSW

Are you passionate about keeping the community safe?

Correctional Officers play a positive role in keeping the community safe and helping offenders find ways to improve their lives. They supervise inmates being held in correction facilities such as prisons and court cells across New South Wales. See here.  

Professor, Criminology and Social Policy; University of Wollongong 

Applications close: 27 July 2023

The School of Health and Society is seeking to appoint a highly motivated, energetic academic leader to provide vision and leadership for the Discipline of Criminology and Social Policy within the School of Health and Society. For more details, see here. 

Research Fellow; University of Nottingham - Sociology & Social Policy

Applications close: 24 July 2023

University of Nottingham are looking for a motivated, highly qualified individual with a PhD in a relevant social science discipline who will join their research team to explore penal supervision in comparative contexts. For more details, see here.

Project Lead - Bugmy Project; Deadly Connections Community & Justice Services 

The Bugmy Justice Project seeks to improve the sentencing processes and outcomes for Aboriginal people identified as defendants and appearing before the District Court for sentencing matters by providing courts with additional information that addresses the personal and community circumstances of the individual Aboriginal person and relevant sentencing options that works to divert mob from custodial sentences. For more details, see here. 

Program Coach - Transform Lives Program; Griffith Criminology Institute, Griffith University 

Applications close: 31 July 2023 

The Transforming Corrections to Transform Lives Centre is seeking to appoint Program Coaches for the Southeast Queensland area. 

The coaches will deliver a new model of care that provides mothers, including First Nations’ mothers and children, with support during their prison sentence and post-release. For more details, see here.

Paralegal (EAGP), Criminal Law; Aboriginal Legal Service 

Applications close: 21 July 2023 

Aboriginal Legal Service's Dubbo office is seeking a highly motivated law student or experienced paralegal to support our legal team with the delivery of high-quality legal services to Aboriginal clients.

This is a great opportunity for the right candidate to build advocacy skills and legal experience under ALS mentorship, and to make a real difference in the community. For more details, see here. 

Senior Police Lawyer; Victoria Police

Applications close: 07 August 2023

Victoria Police is seeking to appoint a Senior Police Lawyer in the Courts and Specialist Prosecutions Division of the Victoria Police Legal Services Department. 

This position sits within the Heidelberg Prosecutions Unit, with the successful candidate required to appear as a criminal law solicitor advocate in both criminal prosecutions and family violence intervention order applications within the relevant unit service catchment. Apply here.

Call for Papers & Invitation to conference; Policing, Rule of Law, Organised crime, and the Environment; International Police Executive Symposium

6 August - 11 August 2023

IPES has invited proposals for paper presentations, panels, posters/exhibits, or innovation showcases for their 32nd annual meeting.

All papers presented at the meeting will be considered for publication in a post-conference volume in IPES Book Series, Advances in Police Theory and Practice. In addition, IPES is also launching a peer-reviewed journal, The Journal of Best Practice and Research in Policing. Conference papers may be submitted to the journal for publication consideration. For more details, see here. 

Call for Submission: Criminology Research Grants 2023; Australian Institute of Criminology 

Applications close by 25 July 2023 

The Australian Institute of Criminology encourages applications from organisations or collaborative teams with a demonstrated capacity to deliver high quality criminological research outcomes. 

Applicants are required to submit a detailed proposal for a criminological research project that will make a valuable contribution to knowledge and address policy-relevant needs in the area of crime and criminal justice.

For more details, see here. 

Call for Papers: Law and Society Association of Australia and New Zealand

Deadline for Submissions: 25 August 2023 

The Law and Society Association of Australia and New Zealand (LSAANZ) is inviting socio-legal scholars and others working at the intersections of law and society to submit panel and abstract proposals for its 2023 in-person conference: Voice, Resistance, and Repair: Law and living together. Find more details here.

Call for projects: European Crime Prevention Award and Best Practice Conference 2023 

Deadline for Submissions: 29 September 2023 

The European Crime Prevention Award (ECPA) and Best Practice Conference (BPC) will take place on 13 and 14 December 2023 in Valencia, Spain. The theme is preventing the trafficking in human beings for the purpose of labour exploitation and other kinds of exploitation. For more information, see here. 

Call for Submissions: UNSW Law Journal 

Deadline for Submissions: 17 November 2023 

The UNSW Law Journal is currently welcoming submissions for the thematic component of Issue 47(2). The topic for this thematic is ‘Developments in Rights, Freedoms and Accountability’. For more information, see here. 

Legal Aid NSW

A Podcast by Paul Coady, Caitlin Akthar and Sophie Anderson, with some special guests. Each episode will summarise 5 cases relevant to criminal lawyers in NSW.

In this episode Caitlin and Sophie highlight the following cases:

R v Dyson [2023] NSWCCA 132

Ritchie v R [2023] NSWCCA 153

AD v State of NSW [2023] NSWCA 115

McQuillan v R (No 2) [2023] NSWSC 443

Commissioner of Police v Walker [2023] NSWSC 539

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