Reforms begin to close working-with-children loopholes
An urgent plan to close loopholes in working with children checks will not "reinvent the wheel" but the government is confident it will help protect children.
crime, law and justice
Portrait of hidden faces declared a hands-down winner
The First Nations girls in an award-winning photo hid their faces as a statement of resistance, with the shot taking out a prestigious national portrait prize.
Accused killer walks from court in successful bail bid
Accused murderer Steven Johnson has been released on bail after a Supreme Court judge ruled he had exceptional circumstances.
Man’s ‘bizarre’ comments after airport gunshot fracas
A man at the centre of an airport arrest boasted he would be bailed again when re-arrested for several assaults in a major train station, a court has been told.
Matt Wright blew up at pilots who went to the pub
After learning his pilots had called off an egg-collecting mission to go to the pub, Matt Wright sent angry texts, before apologising the next day.
Tired backpacker’s evidence leads to rape retrial
A farmer convicted of pressuring a young woman into sex by threatening her job and migration status has won an appeal after trial evidence was deemed unfair.
Family ‘broken’ by teen killer’s sentence reduction
One of the judges asked to consider a teenage murderer's appeal found his jail term was not "manifestly excessive" but a majority of his colleagues disagreed.
War on drugs a ‘costly failure’ amid record consumption
An analysis of Australia's sewers shows record consumption of meth, cocaine and heroin, triggering a call to abandon the "failing" war on drugs.
Accused wife killer to answer curfew-breach charge
Family members of a woman allegedly murdered by her husband, then placed at the scene to fake a lawnmower accident, did not get to see the accused man in court.
Judge sprays lawyers for filing error-riddled AI papers
Lawyers acting for a boy accused of murder used artificial intelligence to prepare their case and did not check before filing documents littered with mistakes.
Crash pilot denies flying high and failing to fuel up
A former pilot, now a paraplegic after a crash, has vigorously denied failing to fuel up one of reality TV star Matt Wright's helicopters.
Tributes for murdered man as hunt for killer continues
Friends are remembering a man killed in a suburban park as a keen dancer as police hunt for the person responsible for his death.
Two men charged over interstate soccer match-fixing bid
Two men have been granted bail by a court after being charged with attempting to match fix soccer games for financial benefit.
Trump consolidates power with takeover of DC police
Donald Trump says he wants to keep the police in Washington DC under federal control beyond mid-September, and could extend the move to other cities.
Former A-League player blames $16k fraud on late pay
An ex-Western United soccer player claims his embattled club's late payments were a factor in his yellow card betting fraud, which netted him about $16,000.
Former MP’s win against $40,000 fine for Facebook posts
A former Liberal MP has emerged victorious from a years-long battle over three unlawful social media posts that were set to cost him dearly.
National Guard gathers in Washington after Trump order
National Guard troops have begun to appear in Washington following US President Donald Trump's crackdown on crime in the US capital.
Chopper death crash pilot details lies to investigators
Reality TV star Matt Wright asked a seriously injured pilot to manipulate helicopter flying hours after a fatal crash, a court has been told.
Police bullet accidentally fired during airport arrest
A bullet was fired by mistake from the rifle of a cop and hit a cafe oven as police arrested a disruptive man at a major airport on a busy travel day.
Locals reel as man accused of killing expecting couple
A homeless man has faced court over the alleged murders of a pregnant woman and her partner, whose deaths have shocked locals in the usually quiet area.
‘Bloody Latham’: court battle wraps after sex act tweet
Former federal Labor leader turned right-wing outsider Mark Latham has gone on a tirade as he defends vilification claims from a rival MP.
Huge payout tipped after Apple and Google’s Epic loss
Apple and Google could face a hefty bill after they were sued by the developer of online game Fortnite and found to have engaged in anti-competitive conduct.
Extensive evidence for cold case triple murder inquest
Three young friends left for an outback motorcycle trip almost 47 years ago only to be later found dead in remote bushland from gunshot wounds.
Wheelchair user walked naked before stabbing woman
A man accused of stabbing a woman to death was covered in blood and had some of his organs hanging out of his torso, a witness has told a murder trial.
Court apology over error finding in MP blackmail case
The judiciary is apologising for an error in a case involving senior members of South Australia's parliament.
‘Abusive obsession’: Latham targeted over sex act tweet
Isolated MP Mark Latham has complained about a "whinge-athon" and been rebuked for repeated interjections as he battles a homosexual vilification claim.
Customs make prickly find in lingerie package
A woman has been convicted after falsely declaring packages as shoes and lingerie when they were actually illegal cacti.
Three dead in Texas parking lot shooting, man arrested
Police say three people are dead after a shooting in Austin, Texas, and a man has been arrested.
Judge ruled to split Patterson trial to avoid prejudice
A Supreme Court judge has released his pre-trial rulings more than a month after mushroom cook Erin Patterson was convicted of triple murder.
Accused murderer claims drug altered his state of mind
An accused murderer claims he was not in control of his actions when he stabbed a woman to death after taking an illicit drug to manage pain.
Premier doubles down as Folbigg slams ‘unfair’ $2m deal
The NSW premier is not budging on a $2 million compensation offer to wrongfully jailed mother Kathleen Folbigg after she described it as "a slap in the face".