The penalties for illegal drug trafficking vary immensely throughout the world. Any criminal lawyer will tell you that it’s not worth trying to bring drugs into Australia – the penalties are simply too big.

Although it could be tempting to bring that little bit of something back from your holidays, it’s simply not worth the risk. The chances are very high that you will get caught, and if you do, you will face significant financial penalties and the risk of jail time.

In this article we’ll explore the trouble that you will get into if you try and bring drugs back into Australia, even if they’re for recreational use. We’ll look at a few of the penalties and the things you should do if you’re charged with drug trafficking.

How Much Trouble Will I Get Into If I Try To Bring Drugs Into Australia?

In Australia drug trafficking is seen as a federal crime and comes with extremely tough penalties. However, you won’t always be charged with trafficking for importing small amounts of drugs. You will only be charged with drug trafficking, and risk the associated penalties if you bring drugs into the country with the intent to sell them.

Smaller amounts of drugs will attract smaller penalties if you are caught, but they are still significant. Ultimately, it really isn’t worth trying to import any border controlled drugs into Australia – you will get caught, and you won’t have much chance to defend yourself if they are found in your belongings or on your person.

Importing small amounts of border controlled illegal drugs can attract penalties of up to 10 years in prison. Marketable quantities attract maximum sentences of 25 years, while the import or export of commercial quantities or border controlled drugs carries a penalty of up to life in prison.

(more…)

Continue Reading

Criminal law is a complicated topic, but it’s worth understanding your rights if you’ve come under scrutiny from the police. Fortunately, in Australia you do have a lot of rights, and they are generally pretty clear.

However, police searches can become a complicated subject. Usually, you will have a lot of rights, and you can’t usually be searched without a warrant. But, like with everything, there are exceptions to the rule, which means that you should always speak with a criminal lawyer if you think you’ve been searched illegally.

With this in mind, I’ve put together a short list of things you should do if you’ve been searched without a warrant. They include:

Speak with a criminal lawyer ASAP

If you’ve been searched, the chances are that the police have their eye on you for some reason. If you’ve been searched without a warrant, then you might have some rights that you’re not aware of, and you might even be able to claim some sort of compensation from the police.

(more…)

Continue Reading

Blackmail is considered a serious crime under Australian law, and is punishable by significant jail time. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t understand what they should and shouldn’t do if they’ve been charged or appear likely to be charged with blackmail, which can lead to a range of problems.

The best advice that I can give anyone who is having any sort of problems with blackmail or extortion is to speak to criminal lawyers. Find someone with experience dealing with blackmail under Australia law, because it’s a crime that’s certainly possible to fight in the courts.

With this in mind, I’ve put together a short list of a few things that you should do if you have been or think you might be charged with blackmail.

Hire a lawyer!

As I’ve already said, hiring a lawyer should be your priority if you’re charged with blackmail in Australia. Since Australian blackmail law is tough, it’s in your best interest to try and build a strong defence as soon as possible.

In saying that, Australian blackmail laws are also quite vague. This means that it’s often possible to build a strong defence. Hiring an experienced lawyer will help you maximise your chances of successfully defending your case. In the worst case scenario, a good lawyer will be able to help you argue for lower penalties.

(more…)

Continue Reading