The answer is no. Riding a bike with ‘no hands’ is illegal Australia-wide. All states in Australia have the same laws that when cycling, cyclists must always keep a minimum of one hand on the handlebars at all times. If a police officer catches you doing so then you could receive a heavy fine.You cannot have a part of your body projecting out of a vehicle says the Australian road rules. For example, waving out of the window or a sunroof you could receive a fine. However, don’t think that sticking your arm out of...

There’s no law in Australia that states what age you can or can’t leave your child at home alone without supervised care. A parent, family or child minder having care of a child under 12 years old, cannot lawfully leave a child alone for an unreasonable amount of time, without making provisions for the supervision of the child during that time. Most importantly, you need to address if your child can be by him or herself independently without your care. This can be considered a misdemeanor or in some extreme...

There’s no law in Australia that states what age you can or can’t leave your child at home alone without supervised care. A parent, family or child minder having care of a child under 12 years old, cannot lawfully leave a child alone for an unreasonable amount of...

The answer is No, you cannot swear at a police officer. Offensive language is a chargeable offence. Most of the time police will charge this along with other more serious offences. In NSW, foul and offensive language carries a maximum penalty fine of 6 penalty units, Currently, 1 penalty unit equals to $110. Offensive language to a police officer can still result in a conviction and criminal record. How can the police prove it? To convict you of swearing, the police must prove that you were within view...

It is obvious that using your mobile phone in your car is illegal and can result in fines, points and loss of licence. But what are the terms of using Sat Nav and maps on your mobile phone whilst driving in NSW? The dangers of using a mobile phone whilst driving can be extremely dangerous and in some instances deadly. Australian authorities are clocking up tens of millions of dollars in fines every year as we cannot seem to restrain ourselves from using our mobile phones in the car whilst driving. You may be...

Could social media be accountable for the spread of terrorism?Social media executives may be jailed and their companies fined billions of dollars if they fail to remove terrorist material, like the Christchurch massacre live stream, under proposed new laws. The Australian Government is pledging to introduce the Bill to Parliament next week after the tragic loss of 50 victims in Christchurch massacre. Google’s sister company, YouTube enjoyed revenue of 192.7 billion during 2018 and could be liable to pay up to 10...

Following the tragic and untimely deaths of two young people at the Defqon music festival last weekend, it is now absolutely crucial that Australia comes to the party and supports pill testing at recreational events. Do not be mistaken: Pill testing is not condoning or encouraging illicit drug use, it is simply a means of harm reduction. So, what is pill testing? Pill testing is service that allows individuals to anonymously hand in their drugs to be tested before consumption. The test will provide information on...

Closing down festivals isn’t the answer, Gladys: Pill testing is! Gladys Berejiklian vows to do everything she can to shut down hardcore music festival Defqon.1 in the wake of two suspected overdose deaths in Sydney overnight. Source: NSW Premier vows to shut Defqon.1 down after suspected overdose deaths

On 28 October 2017, the Habitual Traffic Offender Scheme was abolished with new laws coming in place. Under the former regime, if a person committed three or more serious traffic offences (such as drinking driving, drug driving or driving without current license) within the period of five years, they would automatically be declared Habitual Traffic Offender. The declaration disqualified the driver for five years from driving, in addition to the disqualification period imposed by the court for the third and any...

Actual Bodily Harm Assault occasioning actual bodily harm is a type of common assault and is considered as a serious offence. Under sec 59 of Crimes Act 1900 this offence attracts maximum penalty of 5 years. The penalty increases to 7 years if the offence is committed in the company of someone else. However, if the matter is dealt with in the local court where the maximum penalty is 2 years. Meaning Actual Bodily Harm means any injury which is calculated to interfere with the health or comfort of the victim. The...