Like many other advancements in communication technology, social media has a good, a bad and an ugly side when it comes to its relationship with crime, criminal justice and the law.
A US report has cast doubt on a range of techniques commonly used to secure criminal convictions, such as identification using bite marks, hair strands or footwear.
States do not record the structural violence of racism as part of crime statistics. But this invisible violence has driven some people to self-harm. It has also masked forms of suicide.
A review of Sydney’s lockout laws found the objective of reducing alcohol- and drug-related assaults and anti-social behaviour remain valid, and the measures introduced are achieving this.
Reducing stubbornly high levels of violence can be achieved if there is a focus on ensuring that children are not exposed to violence or toxic stress at home.
The system of apartheid is long gone. But its legacy of poor funding for historically black universities - and of planning that banished black universities to cities’ margins - remains.
Businesses have traded on graffiti and the air of edginess that draws visitors to Melbourne’s laneways. But they draw the line at sharing space with the homeless, whose right to the city is denied.
Using a robotic video camera to digitally recreate a crime scene could give juries greater insight without the logistical nightmare and potential bias of a physical visit.
A South African Olympic silver medallist achieved something remarkable, especially after testing positive for methamphetamine use in 2012. But care needs to be taken in how this narrative is framed.