Children trying to seek refuge in Australia have been detained on Nauru. They argue that Australia is still responsible for them. Australia made a carefully worded agreement with Nauru to avoid responsibility. If Australia has no responsibility, Australia says it is not obliged to ensure the human rights of these children. Um, okay, weird flex about not protecting literal human children, Australia. The UN Human Rights Committee has found that Australia is responsible, and breached Article 9 of t...
Jan 24, 2025•18 min
Very short, sharp episode about the close link between the Roman Empire and Nazism. Why the “Roman salute” explanation is still scary as heck.
Jan 23, 2025•4 min
Billionaires who fail to denounce nazis and fascists are, you guessed it, bad. In Australia, we do not (as far as we know at this stage) have a fascist with overwhelming political power in parliament. But we cannot ignore what is happening in the US. This not-lawyerly episode discusses one concrete action you can take now to strengthen your community. It is aimed at Australians but may be applicable to listeners elsewhere. Fun fact: many people attribute “hope is not a strategy” to Rudy Giuliani...
Jan 22, 2025•8 min
And as bad as ever. NT reinstating dangerous and degrading practice of using spit hoods, still criminalising children. Reporting from The Guardian https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2024/oct/14/northern-territory-spit-hood-ban-lifted-clp-ntwnfb
Jan 22, 2025•9 min
Acknowledgment of Country. CW: the case that started it all is a high-profile sexual assault matter. Breaking news on the ACT Supreme Court’s decision in this highly-publicised, complex and super-interesting matter. I translate from legalese and give cringe-worthy facts their day in the sun, but most importantly, I help you understand this important case. Read the full decision here: https://www.courts.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0003/2408133/Drumgold-v-Board-of-Inquiry-and-Ors-No.-3-2024-...
Mar 04, 2024•58 min•Season 5Ep. 1
Acknowledgement of Country. A not-very-lawyerly episode. My swimming teacher experience and coastal upbringing have given me some knowledge, and I share that with you! Disclaimer: I’m not your swimming teacher (see, I’m still lawyerly). Great resources: https://www.surflifesaving.com.au/beach-safety/rip-currents/ and https://www.royallifesaving.com.au/about/campaigns-and-programs/Water-Safety and your local swim school or surf lifesaving club. Bonus: My voice is soothing and you can use this as ...
Dec 30, 2023•33 min•Season 4Ep. 8
Acknowledgment of Country. Call to action to allies of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander folks: don’t freeze, don’t be silent. VOICE TREATY TRUTH
Oct 25, 2023•21 min•Season 4Ep. 7
Acknowledgement of Country. An easy to understand guide to the science behind Kathleen Folbigg’s pardon. Sources: omim.org and The Guardian at https://amp.theguardian.com/australia-news/2023/may/07/kathleen-folbigg-science-sheds-new-light-on-case-of-mother-convicted-of-murdering-her-children and ABC at https://amp.abc.net.au/article/102406772. For more information about rock pocket mice: https://www.biointeractive.org/classroom-resources/making-fittest-natural-selection-and-adaptation
Jun 07, 2023•27 min•Season 4Ep. 6
Acknowledgement of Country. Kathleen Folbigg case encounters science. Science is very important. Justice is very important, but I can’t do this issue justice so I refer you here: https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/full-story/id1482061243?i=1000612189847
May 09, 2023•4 min•Season 4Ep. 5
Acknowledgement of Country. Voice, treaty and truth are all important. Referendum on the Voice is imminent, so the Australian National University (ANU) answers some burning questions. Find their answers here: https://www.anu.edu.au/about/strategic-planning/indigenous-voice-to-parliament
Apr 05, 2023•4 min•Season 4Ep. 4
Acknowledgment of Country. Voice, Treaty and Truth. Cool stuff happening in Coffs Harbour (Gumbaynggirr Country). To access the Guardian’s podcast with Professor Megan Davis, click here: https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/audio/2023/jan/20/the-details-on-the-indigenous-voice-to-parliament-with-megan-davis To see the website for the Gumbaynggirr Giingana Freedom School, click here: https://www.giinganaschool.org.au
Jan 25, 2023•6 min•Season 4Ep. 3
Acknowledgement of Country. A short, sharp explainer of an interesting High Court decision about defamation. Google LLC v Defteros [2022] HCA 27. Credit to Parisa Hart for her article in Ethos, Summer 2022
Jan 11, 2023•9 min•Season 4Ep. 2
Acknowledgment of Country. What is the AAT? What’s all the fuss?
Jan 04, 2023•8 min•Season 4Ep. 1
Acknowledgement of Country. I share the most important thing I have learned this year. On a tangentially-related note, I encourage you to donate life via organ and tissue donation here: https://www.donatelife.gov.au
Dec 14, 2022•21 min•Season 3Ep. 7
Acknowledgement of Country. Jury can’t make up its mind? Has all the facts and all the law but still needs more? Shazam! They need a Black direction, courtesy of the High Court of Australia (Black v The Queen [1993] HCA 71; 179 CLR 44). Bonus movie review: Joh’s Jury. Enjoy, or get frustrated trying!
Oct 29, 2022•9 min•Season 3Ep. 6
Acknowledgement of Country. The sexual assault trial DPP v Lehrmann has been aborted, because a juror disobeyed the Chief Judge’s direction. Find out more here: https://www.courts.act.gov.au/supreme/judgments/director-of-public-prosecutions-v-lehrmann-no-5
Oct 28, 2022•11 min•Season 3Ep. 5
Acknowledgement of Country. What is a King’s Counsel? And a refresher on the cab rank rule.
Sep 21, 2022•6 min•Season 3Ep. 4
Acknowledgement of Country. Very short update on spit hoods and QLD.
Sep 20, 2022•5 min•Season 3Ep. 3
Acknowledgement of Country and NAIDOC week. Update and breaking news: Commonwealth Attorney-General decides to stop prosecution of Bernard Collaery. Issues include open justice & rule of law. See previous episodes Season 2, 22 & Season 2, 44 for important background. Australian Financial Review article available here: https://www.afr.com/politics/federal/dreyfus-orders-bernard-collaery-case-dropped-20220707-p5azvx
Jul 07, 2022•6 min•Season 3Ep. 2
Acknowledgment of Country this NAIDOC Week. Update on the “no rights without remedy” petition. Spoiler: there will be remedies! Except, maybe, if the ACT police are allegedly involved. Here’s the report: https://www.parliament.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0006/2023764/JCS-Report-7-Report-into-the-Inquiry-into-Petition-32-21-No-Rights-Without-Remedy.pdf#page13
Jul 06, 2022•15 min•Season 3Ep. 1
Acknowledgement of Country. If we can’t enforce our rights, what do they really mean? A petition before the ACT Legislative Assembly seeks to give them meaning. If you want to hear an in-depth forum on International Human Rights Day (10 December 2021), which is online and free, register here: https://hrc.act.gov.au/making-human-rights-complaints-accessible-in-the-act/
Dec 01, 2021•13 min•Season 2Ep. 52
Acknowledgement of Country. Quick recap on Case Theory (please see Season 1, Episode 22) and past defamation episodes (please see Season 2, Episodes 20 and 34). Discussion of how these 2 issues are arising in the media coverage of new NSW police efforts to work out what happened to William Tyrrell who has been missing since 12 September 2014. Helpful analysis of this situation by Paul Barry of ABC’s Media Watch program 22 November 2021 (available here: https://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/episodes/...
Nov 24, 2021•14 min•Season 2Ep. 51
Acknowledgment of Country. Interested in the biopsychosocial model of health? Or, maybe you would be if I broke it down for you into a word of less than 6 or 7 syllables? Get put off by words that sound impressive but are too complex? I know I am! Listen to me explain what “biopsychosocial” means (it’s easy to understand, I promise) and then check out the Ologies podcast episode on Dolorology (the study of pain). Look after yourselves, excellent humans!
Nov 17, 2021•8 min•Season 2Ep. 50
Acknowledgement of Country. Hear all about the Law Council of Australia’s Lawyer Project Report. I provide and easy to understand summary of the 56 page report. The full report can be found here: https://www.lawcouncil.asn.au/publicassets/330febe2-323d-ec11-9443-005056be13b5/The%20Lawyer%20Project%20Report.pdf
Nov 10, 2021•22 min•Season 2Ep. 49
Acknowledgement of Country. Today I talk about an appeal that focuses on one useful example of what procedural fairness looks like. What went wrong? How was it dealt with? (Hint: unusually) Adams v Navaratnam [2021] ACTSC 256. See the full judgment here: https://www.courts.act.gov.au/supreme/judgments/adams-v-navaratnam
Nov 03, 2021•20 min•Season 2Ep. 48
Content warning: a brief mention of non-consensual medical treatment. Acknowledgement of Country. Great work by A Gender Agenda and SHFPACT on their excellent resource “Including Intersex” which can be found here: https://www.shfpact.org.au/news-and-updates/418-including-intersex?fbclid=IwAR12cP5EOmZiHQCqyqB79bjptCNp3UE9rXuRIaNOMUcMtJrOBYO8Ybwv5ms
Oct 25, 2021•10 min•Season 2Ep. 47
Acknowledgement of Country. What is a pronoun? How do I use them? Why should I use these “new” pronouns? Answer: you’ll help a non-binary fairy get their wings. How can I practice them? Hint: https://pronouns.minus18.org.au
Oct 20, 2021•11 min•Season 2Ep. 46
Acknowledgement of Country. Have you heard of CrashCourse? Now you have. Plus, a fun science fact about something you do all the time - breathing! Get into it! Or, keep at it, I hope you’re already breathing and continue to do so!
Oct 13, 2021•13 min•Season 2Ep. 45
Acknowledgement of Country. BREAKING NEWS in this matter today, 6 Oct 2021. See the judgement summary here: https://www.courts.act.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/1870627/Collaery-v-The-Queen-Judgment-Summary.pdf
Oct 06, 2021•8 min•Season 2Ep. 44
Acknowledgement of Country. All about Wills and Enduring Powers of Attorney, and why you need them now! Legal information to help you understand how to give yourself and your loved ones peace of mind at a really difficult time (that’s a euphemism for when you die). And a terrible (but one of my favourites) joke at the end! Thank you!
Sep 29, 2021•30 min•Season 2Ep. 43
