As COVID-19 continues to force shutdowns across the country, many essential services are continuing to operate – albeit with strict social distancing practices, or with employees working from home.CLEON Legal and Mediation Services, a Townsville-based law firm specializing in domestic violence and family law, is determined to continue servicing its clients through the … [Read more...]
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We coined the term "Law Hack" in 2015 to describe a quick, simple and actionable legal tip that makes life easier for everyday Australians. Like a life hack, a law hack significantly improves the lives of young Australians like you by explaining complex legal principles in entertaining everyday language that is easy to digest. A legal tip for successfully appealing a parking fine is an example of a law hack. Our definition has now been included in the LexisNexis Online Australian Legal Dictionary 2nd Edition.
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Are Sweeping Human Biosecurity Emergency Powers Justified?
When the threat COVID-19 posed could no longer be kept under wraps in Wuhan, the Chinese Government did not hesitate to impose a largely experimental lockdown on an unprecedented scale. While this initially sparked bewilderment throughout the Western world, its effectiveness cannot be denied, with Hubei province reporting no domestic transmissions of the disease for the first … [Read more...]
COVID-19: Information For Small Businesses
In the March issue of BucketOrange Magazine, we chat with Nicola Martin and Chiara Rawlins from McCabe Curwood Lawyers in Sydney to answer some of the internet's most frequently asked questions for small business owners and employers in the midst of the COVID-19 crisis.What general obligations do business owners have to staff during the crisis? "At all times, … [Read more...]
What Is The Penalty For Refusing Self-Quarantine?
Update: The Governor-General has today declared a human biosecurity emergency. The Health Minister may now exercise special emergency powers under the Biosecurity Act 2015 to prevent and control the emergence, establishment or spread of coronavirus. The declaration must only be used for 3 months, with a possibility of extension for 3 months. Under the special powers, the Health … [Read more...]
Best Legal Songs To Help Ease The Pain Of Law Life
Lawyering: it's a physical and psychological scrimmage.Official advice focuses on workplace best practice guidelines. Pace yourself, take regular work breaks, get enough food, sleep, and exercise. But the reality is that law life is a combat zone - you do what you can in the time that you have and in the circumstances that you find yourself in.Often this means … [Read more...]
How To Think Like A Lawyer (Even When You Don’t Have A Law Degree)
he art of thinking like a lawyer.It's a form of swift reasoning, cool logic, effortless problem-solving skills and precision analysis that many non-lawyers wished they possessed in heated exchanges between partners, friends or colleagues. It's the kind of calculated mental weaponry that shields you from unhelpful, inflammatory emotions while actively disarming your opponent … [Read more...]
Privacy Awareness Week Cannot Come Soon Enough: What’s On
here has never been a time when so many concerned citizens are on edge about the extent to which our personal data is being collected and used by private companies, organisations and governments around the world.Just this year alone we have seen a series of privacy scandals and legislative developments. From the massive global privacy breach involving Facebook and Cambridge … [Read more...]
What Are Bouncers Legally Permitted To Do?
ouncers and security guards are a common sight in every city in Australia, particularly if you are out on busy Friday and Saturday nights.While bouncers and security guards are employed by pubs and clubs to ensure the safety of patrons, do they have powers to remove you from a venue and, if so, how far do these powers extend? Police and security guards are two very … [Read more...]
#QuickLaw: Can You Receive A Fine For Jaywalking In Australia?
icture this.It’s 11 PM on a Monday night and you’re headed to McDonald's for a late night study snack. Just when you are about to cross the road the pedestrian light turns red, and a single car passes through the traffic lights.With no other vehicles on the road, you decide to cross on a red light. Little did you know that this single act could land you on the receiving end … [Read more...]
Changes To NSW Motor Vehicle Accident Laws
n 1 December 2017, the Motor Accidents Injuries Bill 2017 (NSW) came into effect. This bill supersedes the compulsory third party motor accidents scheme under the Motor Accidents Compensation Act 1999 and changes the ways in which injured parties are compensated for motor accidents.There are two major changes introduced by the new Bill. Statutory benefits now available to … [Read more...]
Time For A Cultural Change Regarding Sexual Assault At Universities
The world is still reeling from the shocking Harvey Weinstein revelations, together with the string of accusations levelled at prominent Hollywood celebrities, not to mention the vile allegations that have emerged about Don Burke and his pathological harassment of women. These horrific accounts have brought dialogue around sexual assault and harassment to the covers of … [Read more...]
Same-Sex Marriage On Track To Be Legalised By Christmas
n a historic and jubilant moment for Australian politics the bill to legalise same-sex marriage has passed the Senate today, without amendment, with 43 senators voting yes and 12 voting no.Many senators have described today as the proudest in their parliamentary careers.The bill will face its final hurdle in the House of Representatives next week when MPs resume the … [Read more...]
Explainer: Marriage Amendment Bill Finally Hits Parliament, What’s Next?
esterday a whopping 61.6% of Australians voted in favour of changing the Marriage Act 1961 (the Act) to allow same-sex couples to be legally married, with all states and territories recording a majority YES response.After Prime Minister Turnbull committed to legislate on the issue and make marriage equality a reality in Australia by Christmas, all eyes - both on a national … [Read more...]
Escalation, Vilification, Discrimination: Marriage Equality Debate Must Be Lawful
n the light of escalating tensions between the "yes" and "no" campaigns, both the Prime Minister, Malcolm Turnbull, and leader of the opposition, Bill Shorten, have reiterated that the marriage equality debate should be civil, respectful and, importantly, lawful.Last week, emergency laws under the Marriage Law Survey (Additional Safeguards) Bill 2017 to ban vilification, … [Read more...]
High Court Will Hand Down Its Decision On Same-Sex Marriage Survey Tomorrow Afternoon
Chief justice Susan Kiefel has announced that the High Court will hand down its decision on the voluntary same-sex marriage postal survey tomorrow at 2.15pm.Full reasons will be published later. … [Read more...]
48 Hours Left To Enrol To Vote In The Postal Plebiscite: Here’s How
There are only 48 hours left to enrol to vote in the Australian Marriage Law Postal Survey.To participate in the survey you need to be correctly enrolled by this Thursday, 24 August 2017.Go to the Australian Electoral Commission website now where you can check your eligibility and enrol online or check your enrollment details.Interestingly, you … [Read more...]
FineFixer: A New Service Helping Victorians Manage Fines
nowing how to effectively challenge a fine presents a stumbling block for most of us.In an Australian-first for the legal assistance sector, Moonee Valley Legal Service recently launched FineFixer – a new website that provides personalised legal information to help Victorians understand their legal rights and how to tackle fines.More than 5 million fines are issued each … [Read more...]
Legal Ink: Who Owns The Tattoos On Your Skin? Probably Not You
While preparing a lecture on fashion law, trademarks and intellectual property, a strange thought occurred to me: "Is my skin an illegal artwork?" Don’t get me wrong, I’m no masterpiece. I do, however, have tattoos. One illustration by Audrey Kawasaki, one of my favourite Japanese-American artists, is sizeable and took nine hours to complete.The tattoo was completed long … [Read more...]
Medical Malpractice: Unwanted Dental Procedures And Informed Consent
e’ve all been there – slowly reclining in an uncomfortable blue plastic dentist chair, willing the experience to be over as quickly and painlessly as possible. A basic check-up is what you signed up for, but you leave the office with a fresh set of x-rays, a numb mouth, three fillings and a follow-up appointment booked a few weeks later.We place a pretty unique amount of … [Read more...]
Bucket Intell-O-gence: Can You Sue For Finding A Foreign Object In Your Food?
magine finding something that has no rightful place in your food while brunching this weekend. A piece of plastic or glass sitting incongruously atop your smashed avo? Or maybe a strand of dirty hair so grotesquely curled around your poached eggs that it triggers an uncontrollable upchuck reflex? Perhaps a worm or spider smugly unfolds itself from your pile of … [Read more...]
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