O'Brien Criminal and Civil Solicitors, Sydney in Sydney, Australia | Criminal lawyer

O'Brien Criminal and Civil Solicitors, Sydney

Locality: Sydney, Australia

Phone: +61 2 9261 4281

Address: 233 Castlereagh St Suite 504, Level 5 2000 Sydney, NSW, Australia

Website: https://obriensolicitors.com.au/

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25.01.2022 We are immensely proud to sponsor The Clink and so impressed with what Brent has been able to do with these stories of redemption. If you haven't listened to the podcast yet, you're missing out! Tune in now on apple podcasts, spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.

25.01.2022 The Anti-Discrimination Bill proposed by One Nation will create legal havoc. From overly broad definitions to unnecessary and unjustifiable limitations on tests, the PIAC slammed the bill proposed by One Nation. They say it deviates from standard anti-discrimination protections in a number of important and substantive ways.

25.01.2022 Using the guise of the pandemic, NSW Police are now publically and boldly acting in a way they usually only do behind closed doors to marginalised communities.

25.01.2022 A landmark decision has been heard at Alice Springs local court where the NT Police officer charged over the fatal shooting of 19-year-old Warlpiri man Kumanjayi Walker in Yuendumu last year will stand trial for murder in the Supreme Court.

25.01.2022 CCTV footage shows a man appearing to be punched before he was wrestled to the ground. His head is turned to the side while a male guard pushed it down. The Australian Human Rights Commission concluded that a tooth knocked loose during the tussle was a direct result of the action of that guard.

24.01.2022 This week on The Clink, Willem Powerfish chats to Brent Simpson! Check it out on spotify, apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.

24.01.2022 BLM PROTEST MONDAY 7 DECEMBER On December 7, hearings will continue in the NSW Parliamentary inquiry examining the mass incarceration of Aboriginal people and the failure of the system in delivering justice for deaths in custody. A protest will be taking place at 12 pm on Monday, December 7 at Djarrbarrgalli (the Domain) in Sydney.... Justice For David Dungay Jnr ASEN (Australian Student Environment Network) Deadly Connections Community & Justice Services Limited

24.01.2022 Traditional Owners on Groote Eylandt are establishing a local justice group to develop an alternative to incarceration.

23.01.2022 After months of civil unrest triggered by controversial police shootings, the momentum for criminal justice reforms has reached the ballot box, with voters in Los Angeles County for the first time being asked if more public funds should be diverted to social services instead of police and jails.

23.01.2022 Senior Solicitor Stewart O'Connell will be discussing this bill on Statewide Drive on ABC radio across NSW. You can read more about the ridiculous powers this new bill gives police and the injustices it's bound to cause. https://obriensolicitors.com.au/lawyers-nsw-government-del/

23.01.2022 The 25 protestors arrested and charged at last year's International Mining and Resources Conference (IMARC) are calling for support to have their charges dropped. We are proud signatories of this statement. Defend the IMARC 25

23.01.2022 The Associated Press conducted the first comprehensive investigation focusing on the brutal treatment of women in the production of palm oil, including the hidden scourge of sexual abuse, ranging from verbal harassment and threats to rape. It’s part of a larger in-depth look at the industry that exposed widespread abuses in the two countries, including human trafficking, child labor and outright slavery.

22.01.2022 Sign the petition to call for Prime Minister Scott Morrison to meet with the families of those who have died while in custody. https://obriensolicitors.com.au/calls-for-pm-to-meet-famil/

22.01.2022 The Federal Government has voted AGAINST flying the Indigenous flags inside the senate, along with the Australian flag... *sigh*

22.01.2022 NT Police Commissioner Jamie Chalker said it was a snapshot of where sometimes we don’t always get it right. This may be the understatement of the century.

22.01.2022 "This is not about condoning young New Zealanders' use of drugs. We would prefer they didn't," said NZ Health Minister. "But the evidence is that when allowed to operate, drug checking services can significantly reduce drug harm.

21.01.2022 State governments have been using COVID-19 health restrictions to limit the right to protest safely. However, authorities’ hypocritical application of the law is being challenged.

21.01.2022 Throwing back to an opinion piece principal solicitor Peter O'Brien wrote for the Guardian earlier this year.

21.01.2022 Looks like he is melting under the pressure...

21.01.2022 12pm | The Domain | #blacklivesmater #EndDeathsInCustody Need legal advice? contact us. + stay COVID-safe!... Justice For David Dungay Jnr Aboriginal Legal Service

21.01.2022 Good news! Inmates in Victoria have been given one day off their sentences for every day that they spent in lockdown due to COVID-19. Unfortunately, the state can take away these days for poor behaviour and it looks like this won't be happening in NSW.

20.01.2022 In the early hours of a cold morning in May 1994, three Aboriginal boys were placed into separate police vehicles by six officers in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley. Though they hadn't committed a crime, the boys aged 12, 13 and 14 were driven to the swampy industrial suburb of Pinkenba, 12 kilometres from the CBD.

20.01.2022 #6 MOST READ ARTICLE OF 2020: PRIESTS ON JOBKEEPER: CHURCH'S GALLING, HYPOCRITICAL TANGO Last month, it was revealed NSW Catholic clergy were receiving JobKeeper, the payment set up by the Federal Government to enable employers to retain employees. The response was widespread condemnation.

20.01.2022 Within the last 12 months, we’ve seen towns flattened by fires as NSW Rural Fire Service crews are spread thin attempting to save what homes they can. In the meantime, NSW Police have spent $24 million settling lawsuits against their officers for misconduct. Despite this, RFS lost $195 million from the NSW 20/21 budget, and NSW Police copped another $207 million increase.

20.01.2022 Police officers from across NSW are saying that internal complaints are being "weaponised" and are pushing out 'good' officers while protecting underperforming police officers who are a part of 'cliques'

19.01.2022 Gangland figure Zlate Cvetanovski, who spent close to a decade behind bars after criminal barrister Nicola Gobbo convinced a key witness to incriminate him, has become the second person to be acquitted over the Lawyer X scandal.

19.01.2022 The Victorian government welcomed the release of an independent report to help shape new legislation, to be introduced by the end of the year. Aboriginal communities have been advocated for this change for a long time, and the recommendation was made in the Royal Commission into Aboriginal Deaths in Custody 30 years ago.

19.01.2022 Dingo was practically born in the ocean and started competing at age 9. He was Quiksilver Pro Champion on his home turf in 2003 and qualified for the WSL in 2001 to 2010. Morrison was runner-up in the Pipe Masters of 2006 and an XXL Big Wave Surfer nominee in 2014. Catch his story of redemption on The Clink via apple podcasts, spotify or wherever you get your podcasts!

19.01.2022 Four years ago, Peter O'Brien was able to take a bag full of cash over to a small fishing village in Indonesia as compensation from the Australian Government for wrongly imprisoning two Indonesian boys. From controversial age ID techniques to a new legal principle, this case is full of twists and turns.

18.01.2022 This week on The Clink, Wayne Cleveland speaks to host Brent Simpson on his story of redemption.

18.01.2022 Birds Eye View Podcast has taken out the coveted Podcast of the Year awards at the Australian Podcast Awards! Read about the incredible story on our blog

18.01.2022 Since 2013, police undertook 1,936,782 searches! The new bill proposes to make some significant changes to the existing legislation including prohibiting searches of kids under 16. David Shoebridge Redfern Legal Centre

18.01.2022 Stop reporting and start doing, lawyers tell NSW inquiry into 'inhuman' Indigenous incarceration

16.01.2022 The NSW Police watchdog has recommended that the NSW Police force sack a Commander after they found he had sexually harassed a junior officer during a home visit. The Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) made the recommendation to Commissioner Mick Fuller after the watchdog sustained the allegations made against him.

16.01.2022 #5 MOST READ ARTICLE IN 2020: SEARCH & DETAIN WITH NO WARRANT: NSW POLICE PILOT DRUG SCHEME If you’ve been convicted of a serious drug offence at least once in the last ten years, you could be put onto a new pilot scheme allowing NSW Police to stop and search you, your car or your house at any time.

16.01.2022 Aboriginal man Dwayne Johnstone was handcuffed, shackled and running away when he was lethally shot in the back outside Lismore Base Hospital last year, a coroner’s inquest has heard.

16.01.2022 Women in correctional facilities are subjected to routine, and sometimes random strip searches. Not only are they incredibly invasive and traumatising - they're not even effective! Join the protest or sign the petition on our website!... Rachel Evans Justice Action Indigenous Social Justice Association - ISJA SYDNEY Macquarie University Women's Collective Socialist Alternative Sydney

16.01.2022 This week on The Clink, host Brent Simpson is joined by former SAS Soldier Wes H. Hennessey. A former SAS Soldier who did seven tours of Afghanistan takes aim at Australian Defence Force (ADF) bosses for stating they were 'unaware' of the actions of the teams. The Clink

16.01.2022 The Greens, both on Waverley Council and in the NSW Parliament are opposed to the privatisation of public land. This cannot be allowed to happen, the culture of selling everything not nailed down has to be changed, stated Greens MP David Shoebridge

15.01.2022 Do you know what your rights are when you're protesting? Tonight, you can join Principal Solicitor Peter O'Brien and other experts on a free webinar hosted by Redfern Legal Centre.

15.01.2022 Marrickville Legal Centre is hosting a free webinar on young people, criminal records and employment discrimination featuring Keenan Mundine from Deadly Connections Community & Justice Services Limited and Eleni Psillakis from Dress for Success Sydney. Register via the link in our blog!

15.01.2022 Bikie turned writer, Mahmood Fazal dips into his story of redemption this week on The Clink! From drugs and shootings, to finally seeking help for his PTSD and heading back to University, Mahmood has an incredible story you have to listen to.

15.01.2022 "I thought I knew everything about my brother's death in custody - I was wrong" An incredibly moving piece from Taleah Jade Reynolds, the sister of Nathan Reynolds who passed away from an asthma attack inside a prison near Windsor in NSW.

15.01.2022 Adults caught using or possessing cannabis are more likely to be charged, rather than cautioned, in Western Sydney than in affluent areas of Sydney. 75% of people found with Cannabis in Northern Beaches were given a warning, compared to only 36% in Penrith!

14.01.2022 Buying chocolate for Christmas this year? A new report by Macquarie University has revealed major chocolate producers such as Nestle, Hershey, Mondelez (which owns Cadbury) and Mars are still sourcing cocoa from Ivory Coast, a small African country where child labour and slavery is rife.

14.01.2022 The Victorian Aboriginal Children's Commissioner is calling for an overhaul of the bail system and alternatives to youth detention, as a report finds the number of children held in remand has more than doubled in the last decade.

13.01.2022 Between February 2019 and June 2020, 40 per cent of all people subject to consorting laws, which aim to curb ‘bikie gang’ activity, were Indigenous. Indigenous Australians make up roughly 3 per cent of the Australian population, and 27 per cent of the prison population

13.01.2022 Greens and Labor have joined forces in the NSW Legislative Council to demand that the ICAC in NSW be given an extra $7.3 mil The funding demands come after the Premier Gladys Berejiklian was revealed to have had a relationship with former MP Daryl Maguire, who was at the centre of a corruption investigation. David Shoebridge

13.01.2022 Great read for parents of teenage boys

12.01.2022 The NSW Government is yet to release a timeline to re-instate prison visits for family and friends of inmates. David Shoebridge Renèe Mcnab

12.01.2022 Sensational breaking news from ICAC NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian told the inquiry that she has a close personal relationship with Mr Maguire from 2015 to a few months ago. Her colleagues are now stating she will be gone in the next 24 hours.... More to come.

12.01.2022 From wealthy Brisbane solicitor to meth addict who shared a house with a career criminal, Nigel Munt has ventured on a long road of redemption. That road has ultimately led him back to practising law. Listen to more on The Clink! https://obriensolicitors.com.au/from-partner-at-law-firm-t/

12.01.2022 Over the holiday period we'll be counting down the top ten most read articles of 2020! Coming in at number 10 is an article on the University of Sydney protestors.

11.01.2022 Greens Senator Lidia Thorpe will be the guest speaker at the 2020 Juanita Nielsen lecture. Juanita Nielsen disappeared in 1975, presumably murdered, for her outspoken activism against corruption of property developers, politicians and cops. The lecture memorialises her dedication and pays tribute to women who speak out about important issues. ... Lidia Thorpe guest speaker at 2020 Juanita Nielsen Memorial Lecture

11.01.2022 "I have been the chief executive of several companies and before that was a general manager of the NSW Legal Aid Commission. I am blessed with good health, a loving wife, successful children and staggeringly beautiful grandchildren. And for a short time, from the age of 63, I was an ice addict."

11.01.2022 Two women have been ordered to pay a combined total of $150,000 for 10 social media posts they made about a wedding planner. Read more:

11.01.2022 Corruption investigations have revealed that NSW Police officers engaged in horrifically misogynistic conversations and jokes about fake charges in a Whatsapp group.

11.01.2022 Did you know there are NO regulations for running a rehab centre? And if a Court orders you go to one, you have to stay there or risk going into prison, no matter how much worse the centre is making you. "These are some of the most vulnerable people in our community, and we leave them in the hands of unregulated rehabilitation centres that do nothing for the health and recovery of the individual," Principal Solicitor Peter O'Brien said.

11.01.2022 The royal commission has recommended that a special investigator should be appointed to determine if barrister-turned-police informer Nicola Gobbo and police officers broke any laws when she acted as a source for the Victoria Police.

10.01.2022 Australia is in the midst of a mass imprisonment crisis, says Monique Hurley, the legal director for the Human Rights Law Centre. Too often, discriminatory laws and excessive police powers form a toxic combination that results in more and more women being separated from their families and funnelled into the prison system.

10.01.2022 BREAKING: The High Court has granted leave to three big media companies to appeal the landmark Dylan Voller defamation case.

10.01.2022 Last week, the High Court Chief Executive Philippa Lynch revealed that eight former associates and one former staff member had also come forward with information about sexual harassment from former High Court justice Dyson Heydon.

10.01.2022 A great Sunday morning listen!

10.01.2022 Telstra has admitted it breached consumer law after they sold mobile phone plans to Indigenous consumers who could not afford them and did not understand them.

09.01.2022 Three strikes and then you're out - that's a proposal by the NSW Government for personal drug use. You'd receive a warning the first time, a fine the second and third time, and then be charged the fourth time.

08.01.2022 NSW Police Commissioner Mick Fuller is worried that the economic hardship induced by the coronavirus will unleash a crime wave. The unemployment rate in NSW in July this year was 7.2 per cent, a figure that hasn't been reached since November of 1998. Increase JobSeeker now.

08.01.2022 Bryan Stevenson Wins "Alternative Nobel": We Must Overturn This Horrific Era of Mass Incarceration Civil rights attorney Bryan Stevenson, who founded the Equal Justice Initiative, was one of four human rights defenders to win this year’s Right Livelihood Award on Thursday. Listen on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com//democracy-now-audio/id73802554

08.01.2022 A young father who was head-stomped and rammed by a police car as he suffered a bipolar episode says he just "wanted to go home" after waiting almost 20 hours for treatment at a Melbourne hospital.

07.01.2022 Principal Solicitor Peter O'Brien was interviewed for this piece today in The Guardian. "O’Brien said the value of out-of-court settlements over the past four years was particularly high because the damages awarded in these types of matters are unfortunately low. The reason for that is complex, and changes depending on the type of case. But O’Brien said the difficulty of pursuing a case against police and the risk of losing carried an incentive for people to settle out of court."

07.01.2022 The mining giant destroyed the 46,000-year-old sacred rock shelters at Juukan Gorge in Western Australia’s Pilbara region. Rio Tinto ironically sponsors the AFL’s Indigenous pathway program. AFL just broke up the partnership.

07.01.2022 The NSW Government has amended the COVID-19 Public Health direction to allow protests or demonstrations about a political matter for up to 500 people in a COVID safe way. "More keen attention should be paid to an appropriate balancing between the public interest in public health and the public interest in assembly and public communication of ideas as the challenges of the pandemic continue." - Felicity Graham Padraic Gibson Taylah Gray

06.01.2022 It's National NAIDOC week! We've slapped together some resources for you to celebrate and educate this NAIDOC Week. #AlwaysWasAlwaysWillBe #NAIDOC2020

06.01.2022 A landmark inquiry has recommended NSW police manuals be changed to stop officers from routinely touching a person's breasts, genitals or buttocks during a strip search unless it's necessary, after several were found to be unlawful

06.01.2022 "NYC Parks stands firmly against any unpermitted erection in city parks, no matter how small."

05.01.2022 The Federal Government has given $300 MILLION to the AFP and NONE to Indigenous resources to close the gap. This is the federal government’s focus on broadening the gap. Instead of investing in supporting First Nations people, they continue to overinvest in policing and jailing" - Greens MP David Shoebridge Justice Action

05.01.2022 Not only is Life Skills Camp more cost-effective for the Territory, but it also offers a higher chance of success. This is due to consistent one-on-one support from designated social workers and a number of wraparound services. Time to address the over-incarceration of Indigenous women in the NT!

05.01.2022 "WADEYE, Australia After an hourlong flight over the ocher sands of northern Australia, the judge stepped off the plane and made her way to the makeshift courthouse, a single white-walled room"

04.01.2022 An asylum seeker who experiences seizures when handcuffed has launched a landmark test case against the Federal Government. Read more about it on the blog!

04.01.2022 Before the State of Origin last year, Indigenous NRL stars Latrell Mitchell, Cody Walker and Josh Addo-Carr boycotted the Australian national anthem. This year, the NRL announced that it would not be including the national anthem in the State of Origin 2020, and within two hours had received public backlash and a personal phone call from Scott Morrison, causing the NRL to backflip on its decision. What do you think?

03.01.2022 #9 MOST READ ARTICLE OF 2020 BOCSAR REPORT ON STMP PRE-CRIME BLACKLIST PROGRAM The STMP is a secret NSW Police policy that is used by police to target individuals for pro-active attention including random personal searches and home visits at all hours of the day. The STMP however usually targets young children and especially young First Nations children.

03.01.2022 #4 MOST READ ARTICLE IN 2020: POLICE POWERS AND LOCKDOWN LAWS IN 2020 By virtue of the COVID-19 Legislation Amendment (Emergency Measures) Bill 2020, the NSW Police Force have been granted new powers to ensure compliance with these strict self-isolating orders and social distancing rules.

03.01.2022 BREAKING NEWS UPDATE: The NSW Coroner has referred the corrections officer to the DPP for prosecution. We must continue to say his name and keep momentum as the DPP investigates. #justicefordwaynejohnstone

03.01.2022 The STMP is a secret NSW Police policy that is used by police to target individuals for pro-active attention including random personal searches and home visits at all hours of the day. The STMP usually targets young children and especially young First Nations children. We need to put an end to this racist, over-policing policy from NSW Police!... David Shoebridge Just Reinvest NSW Public Interest Advocacy Centre

02.01.2022 According to a new report, two thirds of aussie's support pill testing, regardless of age, gender, education level and geography. Do you support pill testing?

02.01.2022 #7 MOST READ ARTICLE OF 2020: COVID-19 ENTERS VICTORIAN PRISONS, JAILS AND REMAND CENTRES While a person in the community may be able to self-isolate or avoid contact with others, incarcerated individuals are subjected to close living arrangements over which they have little control and conditions which could see the virus spread like wildfire.

02.01.2022 #2 MOST READ ARTICLE OF 2020: WHITE SUPREMACY SYMBOL WORN BY QUEENSLAND POLICE OFFICER Queensland Police have told reporters that are making enquiries into an officer who appeared to be wearing a patch associated with far-right extremist groups.

02.01.2022 #8 MOST READ ARTICLE OF 2020 The NSW Police Force continue to display disturbing tendencies with the emergence of footage showing a young boy surrounded by four Sydney police officers while he is held against a fence, pleading with the officers. The obviously distressed child is restrained by male police officers who bark orders at him whilst shining their high-powered torches in his face.

01.01.2022 #3 MOST READ ARTICLE OF 2020: CRIMINAL BARRISTER CALLS FOR DAVID DUNGAY JR DEATH CHARGES Prominent criminal barrister Phillip Boulten SC has called for charges to be laid on the prison guards involved in the death of David Dungay Jr. In 18-page advice, Mr Boulten SC outlined the grounds on which officers involved should be charged.

01.01.2022 Arrested over the Christmas break? Here's what you need to know: https://obriensolicitors.com.au/what-to-do-if-youre-arrest/