The common law and civil law systems are quite distinct in legal practices, principles and procedures. How government manages the difference has implications for the Cameroon Anglophone crisis.
Lifetime tenure has pushed the average age of judicial nominees down as presidents appoint younger justices in hopes they will serve for many decades.
Erin Schaff/Pool/AFP via Getty Images
Unlike in most countries, US Supreme Court justices enjoy life tenure. Some legal scholars believe that centuries-old custom, meant to protect judicial independence, no longer serves the public.
Using mind reading technologies in court could become common practice.
George Pell’s evidence, which implied that children’s complaints of abuse were widely disbelieved ‘back then’, overlooks the long history of successful prosecutions.
AAP/Jeremy Piper
George Pell told the royal commission into child sex abuse the Catholic Church was predisposed not to believe children’s complaints. But, when abuse was reported, police and the courts believed them.
Family Court clients often have specific needs and vulnerabilities.
AAP/Alan Porritt
Merging the back-end operations of Australia’s federal courts could have significant implications for the way in which resources are allocated to meet the needs of family courts and their clients.
Plea bargaining in our criminal justice system receives far more negative than positive attention.
AAP/Dave Hunt
Plea bargaining consistently attracts more attention than almost any other aspect of the criminal justice system. Recently, it has received more attention than usual after US District Court judge Jed Rakoff…
The ‘lock 'em up’ approach largely ignores the victim.
Image from shutterstock.com
All too often, governments take the lazy option when faced with public outcry about sexual offences. Their automatic, knee-jerk, politically charged response is to “get tough on crime” by imposing mandatory…