http://www.thepunch.com.au/tags/justice/ Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. en Copyright 2012 The Punch penberthyd@newsltd.com.au penberthyd@newsltd.com.au Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Politics, opinion, world news, sports news, latest news, views, Barack Obama, Kevin Rudd, Julia Gillard, Nathan Rees, Malcolm Turnbull, Peter Garrett, Barnaby Joyce, Australian, federal politics, opinion polls, election, The Punch, thepunch, punch ExpressionEngine 1.6.7 http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss 15 http://www.thepunch.com.au/images/punch-logo-rss.png http://www.thepunch.com.au/ 144 70 Politics, political opinion, world news, sports news and the latest news and views updated live, daily on The Punch - Australia's best conversation. Search The Punch keywords http://www.thepunch.com.au/search/ http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/cost-of-australian-justice-spirals-out-of-control/ Have you ever been to a lawyer? Have you ever been a party to a Court case? If you have or know someone who has, then you will know how expensive lawyers and going to court can be. Yes, lawyers have an important role to play in providing legal advice when needed, but the cost of that legal advice keeps going up. It’s a bit like the big banks constantly bothering us with their pleas of how their cost of funding is going up and how they need to keep inflating their interest rates on loans and credit cards. And, of course, the lawyers will also tell us how tough things are for them and, surprise, surprise, how they need to raise their legal fees to cope with their increasing costs. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/cost-of-australian-justice-spirals-out-of-control/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/cost-of-australian-justice-spirals-out-of-control/#item8323 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Watching from afar, I noted a press release from a federal minister talking about a Brisbane suburb. It was headlined: “Making Sunnybank’s streets safer”. How can a place called Sunnybank possibly be unsafe? But, you know, places can get that way. Or un-get that way. Which is what happened to New York. It got safe. Recently, I re-watched the still-watchable 1979 film The Warriors, about a New York gang’s attempt to get home to Coney Island by crossing from the Bronx through the wilderness of Manhattan. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/zero-tolerance-on-crime-can-you-dig-it/ Watching from afar, I noted a press release from a federal minister talking about a Brisbane suburb. It was headlined: “Making Sunnybank’s streets safer”. How can a place called Sunnybank possibly be unsafe? But, you know, places can get that way. Or un-get that way. Which is what happened to New York. It got safe. Recently, I re-watched the still-watchable 1979 film The Warriors, about a New York gang’s attempt to get home to Coney Island by crossing from the Bronx through the wilderness of Manhattan. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/zero-tolerance-on-crime-can-you-dig-it/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/zero-tolerance-on-crime-can-you-dig-it/#item8298 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Watching from afar, I noted a press release from a federal minister talking about a Brisbane suburb. It was headlined: “Making Sunnybank’s streets safer”. How can a place called Sunnybank possibly be unsafe? But, you know, places can get that way. Or un-get that way. Which is what happened to New York. It got safe. Recently, I re-watched the still-watchable 1979 film The Warriors, about a New York gang’s attempt to get home to Coney Island by crossing from the Bronx through the wilderness of Manhattan. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/shackle-anders-breivik-like-the-dog-that-he-is/ The least they could have done is shackled the maleficent beast so he couldn’t proudly give his right-wing salute. If we have to witness Norwegian killer Anders Behring Breivik’s trial – and the victims’ families are surely hoping to see justice done publicly – then truss him up and treat him as he deserves. As a morally void demon. The court may find he was psychotic when he killed 77 people, but the latest reports are that experts reckon he was sane. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/shackle-anders-breivik-like-the-dog-that-he-is/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/shackle-anders-breivik-like-the-dog-that-he-is/#item8263 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Watching from afar, I noted a press release from a federal minister talking about a Brisbane suburb. It was headlined: “Making Sunnybank’s streets safer”. How can a place called Sunnybank possibly be unsafe? But, you know, places can get that way. Or un-get that way. Which is what happened to New York. It got safe. Recently, I re-watched the still-watchable 1979 film The Warriors, about a New York gang’s attempt to get home to Coney Island by crossing from the Bronx through the wilderness of Manhattan. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/keep-recommendations-secret-said-tony-abbott/ Fair Work Australia may as well make public its massive, three-year report on the Health Services Union now that it is almost certain it won’t be used to mount criminal prosecutions. It is probably going to happen anyway through the Senate committee system. We can expect soon to have the dubious victory ceremony of downloading a 1100-page report. The Opposition has been agitating for its release but will not be totally satisfied should the document be made available. That’s because the Opposition could be denied its ultimate trophy. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/keep-recommendations-secret-said-tony-abbott/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/keep-recommendations-secret-said-tony-abbott/#item8177 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Watching from afar, I noted a press release from a federal minister talking about a Brisbane suburb. It was headlined: “Making Sunnybank’s streets safer”. How can a place called Sunnybank possibly be unsafe? But, you know, places can get that way. Or un-get that way. Which is what happened to New York. It got safe. Recently, I re-watched the still-watchable 1979 film The Warriors, about a New York gang’s attempt to get home to Coney Island by crossing from the Bronx through the wilderness of Manhattan. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/is-it-ever-OK-to-be-a-vigilante/ Vigilantes are often portrayed as heroes in the movies. Clint Eastwood has made a career out of acting the part. But Eastwood’s not the best example of a modern day vigilante. I always picked him as more of a 4WD kinda’ guy, instead of someone who zooms around the inner suburbs of your nearest city perched on a bike and decked out in lycra. As our open thread reported yesterday, an online community of Sydney cyclists are hunting down the occupants of a dark red Mitsubishi, who are alleged to have attacked a cyclist with fists and, oddly enough, batteries. The drivers are no fans of Le Tour de France, that’s for sure. “Energise THIS, Lance Armstrong!” The cyclist in question, Chris Moore, doesn’t want vengeance. He says he isn’t going to press charges. “I think a better outcome would be if these people were able to gain a bit of insight, and empathise with other road users,” he wrote on Reddit. Not every vigilante would be so compassionate though. I’m sure Clint wouldn’t. And technology’s made taking justice into your own hands that much easier - which isn’t always a good thing. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/is-it-ever-OK-to-be-a-vigilante/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/is-it-ever-OK-to-be-a-vigilante/#item8110 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Watching from afar, I noted a press release from a federal minister talking about a Brisbane suburb. It was headlined: “Making Sunnybank’s streets safer”. How can a place called Sunnybank possibly be unsafe? But, you know, places can get that way. Or un-get that way. Which is what happened to New York. It got safe. Recently, I re-watched the still-watchable 1979 film The Warriors, about a New York gang’s attempt to get home to Coney Island by crossing from the Bronx through the wilderness of Manhattan. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/when-do-we-stop-calling-tasers-non-lethal/ Today’s weasel word award goes to the term ‘non-lethal’, frequently used to describe Tasers. It’s especially weaselly when the term is being bandied about so soon after a man has died. NSW police Tasered a man in Sydney over the weekend, alleging he resisted arrest. He died at the scene. It may not have been the Taser whodunnit. Just like Tasers might not have directly caused hundreds of other deaths associated with their use. Those cases could just be the results of a perfect storm, of someone high on adrenalin, with a faulty heart, and the delivery of 50,000 volts designed to make their muscles spasm were just another contributing factor. But that doesn’t make the phrase ‘non lethal’ any less oleaginous, disingenuous, and inaccurate. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/when-do-we-stop-calling-tasers-non-lethal/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/when-do-we-stop-calling-tasers-non-lethal/#item8034 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Watching from afar, I noted a press release from a federal minister talking about a Brisbane suburb. It was headlined: “Making Sunnybank’s streets safer”. How can a place called Sunnybank possibly be unsafe? But, you know, places can get that way. Or un-get that way. Which is what happened to New York. It got safe. Recently, I re-watched the still-watchable 1979 film The Warriors, about a New York gang’s attempt to get home to Coney Island by crossing from the Bronx through the wilderness of Manhattan. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/outlaw-bikies-cannot-be-judged-outside-the-law/ Vince Focarelli – alleged leader of the feared New Boys street gang and, briefly, an Adelaide group of Comancheros bikies – had already walked away from three attempts on his life. It seemed unlikely that those who wished him harm were about to stop trying. Last weekend, Focarelli’s aura of invincibility was shattered with tragic results. A hail of gunfire left the man himself with a head wound and claimed the life of his son Giovanni, who was just 22. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/outlaw-bikies-cannot-be-judged-outside-the-law/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/outlaw-bikies-cannot-be-judged-outside-the-law/#item7672 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Watching from afar, I noted a press release from a federal minister talking about a Brisbane suburb. It was headlined: “Making Sunnybank’s streets safer”. How can a place called Sunnybank possibly be unsafe? But, you know, places can get that way. Or un-get that way. Which is what happened to New York. It got safe. Recently, I re-watched the still-watchable 1979 film The Warriors, about a New York gang’s attempt to get home to Coney Island by crossing from the Bronx through the wilderness of Manhattan. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/law-must-navigate-the-treacherous-social-media-seas/ Commercial aviation is the safest form of travel because the industry has learnt from past accidents by abolishing the culture of blame. The Costa Concordia disaster is the cruise ship industry’s chance to improve safety and ensure that avoidable tragedy never happens again, but that chance will be missed if only one man pays the price. In Italian courtrooms there is a sign which suggests: La legge e’ uguale per tutti – the law is the same for everyone. There is no asterisk on the sign, though it should be noted the term “everyone: does in fact mean “everyone except some”, including former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, who conveniently changed the law while in office to spare himself prosecution, and, more recently, the captain of the Costa Concordia Francesco Schettino, who shall be afforded no such privilege. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/law-must-navigate-the-treacherous-social-media-seas/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/law-must-navigate-the-treacherous-social-media-seas/#item7635 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Watching from afar, I noted a press release from a federal minister talking about a Brisbane suburb. It was headlined: “Making Sunnybank’s streets safer”. How can a place called Sunnybank possibly be unsafe? But, you know, places can get that way. Or un-get that way. Which is what happened to New York. It got safe. Recently, I re-watched the still-watchable 1979 film The Warriors, about a New York gang’s attempt to get home to Coney Island by crossing from the Bronx through the wilderness of Manhattan. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-human-headline-ungagged-and-unbowed/ The biggest slap in my five months of house arrest came not at the start when the magistrate said he wanted to make it “as much like jail” as he could. It came only days from the end, at the hands of an elderly hospital volunteer, on one of my rare excursions into the real world. As I walked into the foyer of the Austin Hospital for a check-up to see how my newly transplanted liver was behaving, the beaming, bespectacled old-timer asked how I was doing. I said: “I feel great. Only 12 more days and I’m out of jail.” His mocking, condescending reply: “You weren’t in jail.” I felt like saying: “You try it, sunshine.” penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-human-headline-ungagged-and-unbowed/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/the-human-headline-ungagged-and-unbowed/#item7431 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Watching from afar, I noted a press release from a federal minister talking about a Brisbane suburb. It was headlined: “Making Sunnybank’s streets safer”. How can a place called Sunnybank possibly be unsafe? But, you know, places can get that way. Or un-get that way. Which is what happened to New York. It got safe. Recently, I re-watched the still-watchable 1979 film The Warriors, about a New York gang’s attempt to get home to Coney Island by crossing from the Bronx through the wilderness of Manhattan. http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/so-the-bali-boy-will-outta-the-joint-for-christmas/ The Indonesian courts have, to an extent, belied their reputation for handing down extreme sentences. They have sentenced the 14-year-old Central Coast boy to two months in prison; of which he has already served about seven weeks. The courts also showed their softer side earlier this year when they reduced Abu Bakar Bashir’s sentence on humanitarian grounds. But Australians are still on death row for drug smuggling. penberthyd@newsltd.com.au (David Penberthy) Article http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/so-the-bali-boy-will-outta-the-joint-for-christmas/#comments http://www.thepunch.com.au/articles/so-the-bali-boy-will-outta-the-joint-for-christmas/#item7242 Sat, 26 May 2012 20:00:49 +0000 Watching from afar, I noted a press release from a federal minister talking about a Brisbane suburb. It was headlined: “Making Sunnybank’s streets safer”. How can a place called Sunnybank possibly be unsafe? But, you know, places can get that way. Or un-get that way. Which is what happened to New York. It got safe. Recently, I re-watched the still-watchable 1979 film The Warriors, about a New York gang’s attempt to get home to Coney Island by crossing from the Bronx through the wilderness of Manhattan.