Stephen interviews Ghassan Kassisieh (law, politics & a few things in between)

In this episode Stephen sits down for a wide ranging chat with Barrister Ghassan Kassisieh. The discussion is lengthy and covers lgbt rights, international politics, refugees, the politicisation of gay rights in the Israeli / Palestinian conflict and comparative law, among other things. Ghassan is …

The Knitting Nanas take on Anti-Protest Laws and Win

It’s not every day of the week that a law is struck down as unconstitutional but that’s exactly what happened in the case of the Knitting Nanas against the State of NSW. Two Knitting Nanas Helen Kvelde and Dominique Jacobs with the help of the Environmental Defenders Office launched a constitutiona…

Is the Trump prosecution really a 'political witch hunt'? Many say yes, Judge says no

In this episode the wigs analyse the latest judgment in the federal prosecution of donald trump, in which the trial judge soundly rejected his application to terminate the prosecution on the basis that the biden administration is targeting him in a selective and vindictive manner. Judge Chutkan in …

The Legal Requirements On Police To Consider Alternatives To Arrest

In this episode the wigs discuss a new police powers decision, Julie Bugmy v NSW Director of Public Prosecutions 2024 NSWCA 70, a recent decision of the NSW Court of Appeal. It concerns the law applicable when police arrest a person believed to have breached a condition of a grant of bail. Wig Step…

The Wigs Live - Reasonable Cause CPD 2024

In March this year, the Wigs were back to record a live show at the Reasonable Cause Continuing Professional Development Conference.  The topic was Ethics for Defence Lawyers and the panel discussion you are about to hear examined the basis of ethical obligations, the nature of the fiduciary oblig…

Foreign Bribery: Analysing The Changes To The Criminal Code

In this episode, the wigs tackle a bill that passed the federal parliament recently and very substantially amended the part of the Criminal Code 1995 that creates crimes related to engaging in bribery in foreign countries. The Crimes Legislation Amendment (Combatting Foreign Bribery) Bill 2023 pass…

Is Indefinite Detention Punitive? Who Can Impose It? We Have An Answer!

In this episode recorded on 19 December 2023, the wigs analyse the decision of the High Court in NZYQ v Minister for Immigration 2023 HCA 37, one of the most important public law decisions in recent decades which was handed down on 28 November 2023. In the decision, the court unanimously overturned…

Extra Wigs: The Law Is A Meme

In this Wigs Extra Episode we present something a little unusual: a speech that Wig Emmanuel Kerkyasharian gave to the Legal Studies Association.  Asked to speak about basic legal concepts in the context of the Legal Studies Syllabus, Emmanuel couldn’t resist the temptation to go philosophical, an…

Back for 2024! - Judge Newlinds and criticisms of the Director of Public Prosecutions

Welcome back to the Wigs for a brand new year! We have been on an extended summer break and hope you have enjoyed a great break too. In this episode, recorded at the end of last year, The Wigs examine a recent decision of NSW District Court Judge Newlinds in R v Martinez. The judgment has already b…

Felicity Graham interviews David Buchanan SC

This week we are delighted to have as a guest of the Wigs, David Buchanan SC. David is a quiet and unassuming legend of the criminal law in NSW.  Admitted to legal practice in 1975 and then called to the Bar in 1977, in the decades between then and now he has not wearied nor lost his zeal and profe…