Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Northern Territory Police are calling for information in relation to an aggravated robbery in Brinkin overnight.
Around 11:55pm, it is alleged an altercation occurred on Trower road, near the intersection with Bradshaw drive, between two dark coloured vehicles.
The offending vehicle is believed to be a sports utility vehicle carrying young adult male passengers.
The incident continued onto an address closer to casuarina beach, where police received reports that a man was threatened with a knife before the offenders stole his phone and fled the scene.
Northern Territory Police are urging anyone with information or who had witnessed the incidents to make contact on 131 444. Police quote reference NTP2400095169.
Source: Australian Competition and Consumer Commission
The ACCC has commenced separate proceedings in the Federal Court against Woolworths Group Limited (Woolworths) (ASX: WOW) and Coles Supermarkets Australia Pty Ltd (Coles) (a subsidiary of Coles Group Limited – ASX: COL) for allegedly breaching the Australian Consumer Law by misleading consumers through discount pricing claims on hundreds of common supermarket products.
The ACCC’s allegations relate to products sold by each of Woolworths and Coles at regular long-term prices which remained the same, excluding short-term specials, for at least six months and in many cases for at least a year.
The products were then subject to price rises of at least 15 per cent for brief periods, before being placed in Woolworths’ ‘Prices Dropped’ promotion and Coles’ ‘Down Down’ promotion, at prices lower than during the price spike but higher than, or the same as, the regular price that applied before the price spike.
“Following many years of marketing campaigns by Woolworths and Coles, Australian consumers have come to understand that the ‘Prices Dropped’ and ‘Down Down’ promotions relate to a sustained reduction in the regular prices of supermarket products. However, in the case of these products, we allege the new ‘Prices Dropped’ and ‘Down Down’ promotional prices were actually higher than, or the same as, the previous regular price,” ACCC Chair Gina Cass-Gottlieb said.
“We allege that each of Woolworths and Coles breached the Australian Consumer Law by making misleading claims about discounts, when the discounts were, in fact, illusory.”
“We also allege that in many cases both Woolworths and Coles had already planned to later place the products on a ‘Prices Dropped’ or ‘Down Down’ promotion before the price spike, and implemented the temporary price spike for the purpose of establishing a higher ‘was’ price,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.
The ACCC alleges the conduct involved 266 products for Woolworths at different times across 20 months, and 245 products for Coles at different times across 15 months. The representations were made on pricing tickets displayed to consumers in-store on supermarket shelves and online, usually with a ‘was’ price displayed showing what the price was during the short-term price spike and the date of that price.
The ACCC identified this conduct through consumer contacts to the ACCC and social media monitoring, and then conducted an in-depth investigation using its compulsory powers.
“Many consumers rely on discounts to help their grocery budgets stretch further, particularly during this time of cost of living pressures. It is critical that Australian consumers are able to rely on the accuracy of pricing and discount claims,” Ms Cass-Gottlieb said.
“We allege these misleading claims about illusory discounts diminished the ability of consumers to make informed choices about what products to buy, and where.”
The ACCC estimates that Woolworths and Coles sold tens of millions of the affected products and derived significant revenue from those sales.
The ACCC is seeking declarations, penalties, costs and other orders. The ACCC is also seeking community service orders that Woolworths and Coles must each fund a registered charity to deliver meals to Australians in need, in addition to their pre-existing charitable meal delivery programs.
Alleged conduct
The ACCC alleges that the supermarkets offered certain products at a regular price for at least 180 days. They then increased the price of the product by at least 15 per cent for a relatively short period of time, and subsequently placed it onto their ‘Prices Dropped’ or ‘Down Down’ program.
The ACCC alleges the display of the Prices Dropped and Down Down tickets was misleading, as the price of the products was in fact higher than or the same as the regular price at which the supermarket had previously offered the products for sale.
Alleged conduct by Woolworths
The ACCC alleges that Woolworths made false or misleading representations to consumers about the prices of 266 products during the period between September 2021 and May 2023.
Products affected include Arnott’s Tim Tams biscuits, Dolmio sauces, Doritos salsa, Energizer batteries, Friskies cat food, Kellogg’s cereal, President butter, Listerine mouthwash, Moccona coffee capsules, Mother energy drinks, Mr Chen’s noodles, Nicorette patches, Ocean Blue smoked salmon, Oreo cookies, Palmolive dishwashing liquid, Raid insect spray, Sprite soft drink, Stayfree pads, Twisties, Uncle Tobys muesli bars, and Vicks VapoDrops.
Example – Oreo Family Pack Original 370g
From at least 1 January 2021 until 27 November 2022, Woolworths offered the Oreo Family Pack Original 370g product for sale at a regular price of $3.50 on a pre-existing ‘Prices Dropped’ promotion for at least 696 days.
On 28 November 2022, the price was increased to $5.00 for a period of 22 days. On 20 December 2022, the product was placed on a ‘Prices Dropped’ promotion with the tickets showing a ‘Prices Dropped’ price of $4.50 and a ‘was’ price of $5.00. The ‘Prices Dropped’ price of $4.50 was in fact 29 per cent higher than the product’s previous regular price of $3.50.
In this example, the ACCC alleges Woolworths had planned the temporary price spike to establish a new higher ‘was’ price for the subsequent ‘promotion’. Woolworths had decided (after a request from the supplier for a price increase) on or around 18 November 2022 to take the product off ‘Prices Dropped’, increase the price, and then put the product back on to ‘Prices Dropped’ three weeks later.
Alleged conduct by Coles
The ACCC alleges that Coles made false or misleading representations to consumers about the prices of 245 products during the period between February 2022 and May 2023.
Products include Arnott’s Shapes biscuits, Band-Aids, Bega cheese, Cadbury chocolates, Coca Cola soft drink, Colgate toothpaste, Danone yoghurt, Dettol multi-purpose wipes, Fab laundry liquid, Karicare formula, Kellogg’s snack bars, Kleenex tissues, Libra tampons, Lurpak butter, Maggi two-minute noodles, Nature’s Gift dog food, Nescafe instant coffee, Palmolive shampoo, Rexona deodorant, Sakata rice crackers, Sanitarium Weet-Bix cereal, Strepsils lozenges, Sunrice rice, Tena pads, Viva paper towels, Whiskas cat food, and Zafarelli pasta.
Example Strepsils Throat Lozenges Honey & Lemon 16 pack
From at least 1 January 2021 until 11 October 2022, Coles offered the Strepsils Throat Lozenges Honey & Lemon 16 pack product for sale at a regular price of $5.50 (on a pre-existing ‘Down Down’ promotion) for at least 649 days, including one seven-day short-term special.
On 12 October 2022, the price was then increased to $7.00 for a period of 28 days. On 9 November 2022, the product was placed on a ‘Down Down’ promotion with the tickets showing a ‘Down Down’ price of $6.00 and a ‘was’ price of $7.00. The ‘Down Down’ price of $6.00 was in fact 9 per cent higher than the product’s previous regular price of $5.50.
In this example, the ACCC alleges Coles had planned the temporary price spike to establish a new higher ‘was’ price for the subsequent ‘promotion’. Coles had decided (after a request from the supplier for a price increase) on or around 7 October 2022 to take the product off ‘Down Down’, increase the price, and then put the product back on to ‘Down Down’ four weeks later.
The ACCC’s investigation into the conduct which is the subject of these proceedings pre-dates this inquiry. The inquiry will not consider the issues in dispute in these proceedings.
Note to editors
The ACCC does not regulate supermarket prices.
The ACCC has taken proceedings in respect of alleged breaches of the Australian Consumer Law, which provides that businesses must not make false or misleading statements about prices.
Separate proceedings are brought against Woolworths and Coles, and the ACCC is not making any allegation of any collusion or anti-competitive conduct by Woolworths and Coles as part of these proceedings.
The ACCC is not alleging any contravention of the ACL by any of Woolworths’ and Coles’ suppliers in these proceedings.
The maximum penalty for each breach of the Australian Consumer Law increased on 10 November 2022, part way through the period of the alleged conduct. For contraventions from 10 November 2022, the maximum penalty is the greater of:
$50,000,000
if the Court can determine the value of the ‘reasonably attributable’ benefit obtained, three times that value, or
if the Court cannot determine the value of the ‘reasonably attributable’ benefit, 30 per cent of the corporation’s adjusted turnover during the breach turnover period for the contravention.
Any penalty that might apply to this conduct is a matter for the Court to determine and would depend on the Court’s findings. The ACCC will not comment on what penalties the Court may impose.
Background
Woolworths runs the largest supermarket chain in Australia, with about 1,140 Woolworths supermarket stores across the country.
The ‘Prices Dropped’ Program is promoted by Woolworths as a shelf price reduction program designed to offer Woolworths’ customers consistently low prices over a prolonged period. The objective of the Prices Dropped Program was to lower the standard shelf price of a product from its previous standard (or regular) shelf price.
Example of a Prices Dropped ticket
Coles is the second-largest supermarket chain in Australia, operating more than 840 stores nationally.
Coles introduced the ‘Down Down’ Program in June 2010 and marketed it as a promotional campaign designed to reduce the regular shelf price of commonly purchased products — thereby offering customers predictable and reliable value on the items they purchased the most and reducing the cost of their shopping basket.
Example of a Down Down ticket
Separate to these proceedings, in December 2023, following a complaint by CHOICE and an investigation by the ACCC, Coles announced refunds for thousands of customers after it raised the price on 20 products that it had promised would remain ‘locked’ for a certain period of time as part of Coles’ ‘Dropped and Locked’ promotion.
These documents contain the ACCC’s initiating court documents in relation to these matters. We will not be uploading further documents in the event these initial documents are subsequently amended.
The City of Greater Bendigo is asking residents to complete a survey to help identify the most pressing social needs in our community.
The survey is now available on the City’s Let’s Talk community engagement website for community members to have input into the project until Monday October 21.
City of Greater Bendigo Community Partnerships Manager, Andie West said the City’s Community Partnerships Unit supports liveability by working together with residents and groups to support a community that is inclusive, strong, connected and resilient.
“This means it’s responsible for understanding the needs and priorities of the community to deliver on Council’s commitments to community development, fairness and social equity, accessibility and participation, community safety, respect for others and sense of belonging,” Ms West said.
“The aim of the Community Needs Assessment is to support a more evidence-informed and targeted approach to resource investment.
“It’s important that services, policies, and programs meet the real needs of the community and work well. Without proper planning, services can become fragmented and may only react to problems instead of focusing on preventing them from happening in the first place and basing decisions on evidence.
“The City is now undertaking a systematic approach to understand the community’s social needs as funds and other resources are becoming increasingly constrained to address them.
“Community feedback will help us understand where we could focus our efforts. We can’t increase our services, so doing more in one area, will mean doing less in another – and we want to get it right.
“All community feedback will be analysed along with other information to form a fuller picture of community needs using current best evidence.
“Ultimately this evidence will inform decisions that the City makes about how it delivers to the community in terms of its role, whether that be service provider, advocate or facilitator, and to ensure that future resource allocations are invested for maximum positive social impact.
“The project aligns with our commitment to the City’s Social Justice Framework and will help inform the incoming Councillors in their future decision making. It will also assist with future planning via the City’s Council Plan and Municipal Public Health and Wellbeing Plan renewal.
“I encourage all interested people to visit the City’s Let’s Talk website and provide their feedback by Monday October 21, 2024.”
Met launches London Race Action Plan, committing to the next steps in becoming an anti-racist police service
The plan has been co-created with Black officers, staff and communities – with more than 2,200 Londoners consulted.
Improvements to the service’s culture, training and leadership all form part of the Met’s commitment to strengthening trust among Black Londoners and its own workforce.
A new stop and search charter which has been co-authored with Black communities. This re-sets how stop and search should be carried out in London.
Improvements in how we record and monitor the ethnicity of drivers when making vehicle stops, with external scrutiny for greater transparency.
An overhaul of our policy on intimate searches of children – increasing the threshold and oversight, ensuring they only occur when necessary and proportionate.
To better represent the communities we serve we’re working hard to recruit and retain a more diverse workforce that brings all the talents, experiences and perspectives of London to policing.
We’re also now training all new recruits so they understand the lived experience of Black Londoners and other communities across the capital.
We’ve committed to rooting out disparities in the Met’s misconduct system and have introduced focused workshops to improve promotion rates. As a result, since 2021 promotion pass rates for Black officers has increased from 68% to 75%.
The London Race Action Plan outlines the next steps in the Met’s mission to become an anti-racist organisation and a service that is more inclusive, diverse and representative of London.
It sets out across four pillars how the Met will better represent, respect, involve and protect Black Londoners.
Over many years the Met has let Black communities down and although steps have been taken in the right direction, there remains a long way to go to be an inclusive and anti-racist organisation.
The four pillars of the plan will be delivered through tangible action across London, co-designed by the communities we serve. This will include:
We know there is more to do, but this plan sets the right course to continue building a Met that our officers and public deserve.
Progress will be made publicly available via biannual updates.
Sir Mark Rowley, Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police said: “This plan publicly sets out our next steps towards becoming a truly anti-racist and inclusive organisation.
“Black Londoners have been let down by the Met over many years and while we continue to take steps in the right direction, there remains a long way to go and there is a lot more work to do.
“Action not words will rebuild trust in our service, so we must now remain focused on delivering real change that is seen and felt by our communities and our workforce.
“We are changing our systems, our processes, culture and our leadership. We are better understanding and acting on disproportionality wherever it exists. We are working more closely than ever with communities we’ve let down to build a service that delivers for all of London.
“To achieve this critical change once and for all will take time, but I am determined that we will continue to strengthen our relationship with Black Londoners – whether that be members of the public or our own colleagues – and renew the principle of policing by consent.”
On 29 September each year New Zealand Police commemorates Police Remembrance Day on the feast day of the Archangel Michael, the patron saint of police. This year it will be observed on Friday 27 September.
Police staff and members of the Police family will gather this Friday to mark Police Remembrance Day, a time to honour and remember colleagues now lost to us.
A national service will be held this Friday at the Royal New Zealand Police College (RNZPC) to honour staff who have been slain or died as a result of their duties, as well as serving, retired and former Police staff who have passed away in the preceding 12 months.
We will also remember our police colleagues in Australia and the Pacific who have been killed by criminal acts while performing their official duties or died as a result of their duties.
Commissioner Andrew Coster will attend the service along with the Minister of Police the Hon Mark Mitchell and Associate Minister of Police the Hon Casey Costello.
Wreaths will be laid at the Memorial Wall and recruits will perform a haka to honour those being remembered.
The livestreaming will be recorded and will remain on the Facebook pages and website to watch after the service.
In addition to the national service, local Remembrance Day services will be held across the country.
On Police Remembrance Day and in the week leading up to it, Police staff throughout New Zealand wear the huia pin which was developed by the Police Association and New Zealand Police.
The tail plumage of the huia bird – now lost to us – is something rare and special and to wear it is considered by Māori to be a great honour. By incorporating the Police chevron into the huia tail feather, the design of the pin symbolises the honouring of someone special, now lost to police.
Media are invited to the event, and are asked to be in place by 10.45am for an 11.00am start to the service.
Please come to the reception area of the RNZPC on Friday 27 September 2024 by 10.30am.
Woman caught more than four times the legal limit in George Town
Monday, 23 September 2024 – 9:53 am.
A 48-year-old George Town woman was charged with high range drink driving, driving under the influence of intoxicating liquor and a number of traffic offences in George Town yesterday. Police reportedly observed the woman speeding in a silver Ford Ranger on Main Road, George Town about 7.05pm, before performing an illegal u-turn and crashing into a residential fence. The woman returned a breath alcohol reading of 0.225 percent, more than four times the legal limit. She was arrested, disqualified from driving for 24 months and bailed to appear in the Launceston Magistrates Court at a later date.
Women charged with stealing in Launceston and Devonport
Monday, 23 September 2024 – 9:46 am.
Two women have been charged after allegedly stealing over $6,000 worth of goods from stores in the Launceston and Devonport areas between May and September 2024. The 26-year-old and 39-year-old, both from Ravenswood, were arrested in the Rooke Street Mall, Devonport on Saturday after they were intercepted by police leaving a store with a significant amount of property. Police obtained a search warrant for their vehicle and recovered further stolen property. Both women appeared in court today and were remanded in custody to appear again at a later date. If you have any information regarding this matter, please contact Tasmania Police on 131 444, or anonymously through Crime Stoppers Tasmania via crimestopperstas.com.au on 1800 333 000.
Its purpose is to put more people into prison for longer. In its Regulatory Impact Statement, the Ministry of Justice estimates 1,350 people will be added to the current prison population. The ministry is also clear that most of the changes are unnecessary and rest on inadequate consultation, particularly with Māori.
The main change the bill makes is to cap reductions in a prison sentence for mitigating factors at “40% of the sentence”, unless that would be “manifestly unjust”.
Mitigating factors
To understand why this is a problem, we need to start with how the Sentencing Act 2002 works. First, the seriousness of an offence provides a starting point. Since the maximum sentence is for the worst example of the offence, the facts can be put on a scale.
Secondly, the judge considers aggravating factors, such as repeat offending, malicious motivations or the victim’s vulnerability. The new bill specifies various additional aggravating factors, but the ministry notes these are already taken into account.
Finally, the judge looks at mitigating factors, such as youth, intellectual disability or mental illness, remorse and positive steps to remedy the cause of offending.
One important available reduction is for a guilty plea. The bill will cap this at 25% – the Supreme Court already decided this several years ago.
Sentence reductions based on these factors will regularly exceed the overall 40% cap proposed in the new bill. For example, impulsive offending by a young adult with ADHD who was in state care because of family abuse, and who pleads guilty early, would likely mean a considerable sentence reduction.
Similarly, offending by someone who both admits it, shows remorse and assists the police would qualify for considerable reductions.
The New Zealand judiciary is not soft by world standards. Its rate of incarceration – currently 181 per 100,000 people – places the country 90th out of 223 jurisdictions.
This is well above Australia, England, Wales and Scotland, and double the rates in Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland and Canada. As Māori have long made up more than 50% of the prison population, their incarceration rate is at US levels. Do we really want to make this worse?
When former Finance Minister Bill English observed New Zealand’s high prison population represented a “moral and fiscal failure”, he asked the chief science advisor to collate the evidence.
Prisoners are seven times more likely than the general population to have a mental health or substance abuse problem. Ninety percent have a history of mental health or addiction, with 60% still affected. Up to 70% have significant literacy problems.
The sentencing reform proposals rest on the notion people should take more personal responsibility. But they overlook the reality of most of the people in the system having a reduced capacity to do that. This looks more like dogma than data.
And since prisons train people in criminal ways and provide gangs with recruits, but do not deal with underlying causes of criminal behaviour, it is dogma that risks creating more victims.
Increased prisoner numbers: Paremoremo Maximum Security Prison, Auckland. Getty Images
A stressed justice system
On top of this, the criminal justice system is creaking, without enough judges or courtrooms. Complainants, defendants and witnesses already wait too long for trials.
Reductions in sentences for guilty pleas and other mitigating features are essential to preventing this from getting worse. Some of these factors only come to light at the sentencing hearing when pre-sentence reports (often including medical reports) are provided.
Also, the final preparation for a trial often leads the prosecution to accept a plea to a less serious offence. And the time waiting for a trial often means a defendant will have served all or much of their sentence already.
If a judge feels obliged to impose a higher sentence because of the new amendments, lawyers will have to advise defendants accordingly. Inevitably, more will decide to take their chances in a trial rather than plead guilty.
That means more complainants will have to give evidence, some defendants will be acquitted, and the criminal justice system will creak more.
Judges and rules
Judges will have to confront some dissonance in the law. The Sentencing Act requires judges to impose the “least restrictive” sentence. But a sentence that is longer than appropriate doesn’t meet that requirement.
A longer-than-necessary prison sentence is arguably arbitrary detention. But the New Zealand Bill of Rights Act requires judges to interpret other statutes to avoid breaching rights if possible, including the right not to be detained arbitrarily.
In addition, a fair trial should aim to secure the right sentence for the individual defendant.
Judges do not sign up to breach people’s rights. Nor do they like it when the executive branch of government uses its parliamentary majority to overstep the separation of powers. Quite properly, they will do what they can to secure individualised justice.
They might, for example, set a sentence at the low end of the available range to achieve the same outcome while appearing to abide by the new 40% cap. Or they might just decide a rehabilitative sentence, invariably non-custodial, is the better outcome.
Judges spend all their time dealing with rules. You can expect them to be creative in finding ways around restrictions that should not be imposed on them.
Kris Gledhill is currently working on a project relating to sentencing that is funded by the Borrin Foundation. He is also a member of the Executive Committee of the Criminal Bar Association, which represents prosecution and defence lawyers. The views stated in this article are his own.
Over 960,000 applicants registered for the initial phase of China’s national unified legal professional qualification examination this year, featuring objective questions, held on Saturday and Sunday, the Ministry of Justice said on Sunday. The number of applicants represented an increase of 12 percent year on year, according to the ministry. Test centers for the exam have been established in all provincial-level regions, the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, and the Hong Kong and Macao special administrative regions. The results for the objective questions examination will be released on Sept. 26. Those who pass the phase can apply for the subjective questions examination between Sept. 26 and 30. The subjective questions examination will be held on Oct. 20. The national unified legal professional qualification examination, China’s bar exam, is the professional qualification for lawyers, judges, prosecutors and other law-related practitioners.
At least four people were killed and many others injured in a mass shooting Saturday night in downtown Birmingham, in the U.S. state of Alabama, police said.
Birmingham police said the shooting occurred in Birmingham Five Points South, an entertainment district near the University of Alabama, just after 11 p.m. local time (0400 GMT Sunday).
Police said multiple people fired several shots at a group of people. When police officers arrived at the scene, they found three people — two men and one women — were dead. A fourth victim later died in hospital.
At least four of the gunshot victims have life-threatening injuries, and the rest have “various injuries,” police said.
As of Sunday morning, no one was in custody, and police said they do not have a motive for the shooting at this time.
Source: Northern Territory Police and Fire Services
Northern Territory Police are calling for information after an aggravated robbery in Marrara early Sunday morning.
Around 12:45am, police received reports that a 26-year-old female had been approached at a residence on Dornoch Court by two youths who allegedly threatened her with a blunt weapon for her keys before stealing her vehicle.
A short time later, police observed the vehicle being driven on Elrundie Avenue and attempted to apprehend the vehicle. The vehicle failed to stop, and a pursuit was initiated.
The pursuit continued throughout the Palmerston area and later into the northern suburbs where a tyre deflation device was successfully deployed.
The alleged offenders abandoned the vehicle in Malak and fled the scene on foot.
Investigations are ongoing.
Police urge anyone with information about the incident to make contact on 131 444 and quote occurrence number P24261314.
Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Jane McAdam, Scientia Professor and ARC Laureate Fellow, Kaldor Centre for International Refugee Law, UNSW Sydney
Recent conflicts in Afghanistan, Ukraine, Sudan and Gaza have displaced large numbers of people. In each case, Australia’s humanitarian response has been different. Some people have been able to acquire a visa and travel to Australia relatively easily; others have been stuck.
Once here, wildly varying visa entitlements mean some people have access to work rights, health care and other services; others are barely surviving.
In a new policy brief, we argue the Australian government should create a new emergency visa for humanitarian crises.
We believe the government needs a more streamlined, equitable, predictable and effective response to assist people facing a real risk of persecution, extreme danger or other serious harm.
An ad hoc approach to emergencies
To date, Australia has used at least 25 different types of visas to respond to humanitarian emergencies. This has resulted in varying outcomes for those affected, as well as significant distress for diaspora communities in Australia concerned for the safety and welfare of loved ones stuck abroad.
While the use of different visas has provided the government with flexibility, it has led to ad hoc and inconsistent approaches. It has also added to challenges and inefficiencies within the visa processing system.
For instance, no special humanitarian visa has been announced for people fleeing conflicts in Gaza or Sudan, though Tony Burke, the new minister for Home Affairs, has indicated he is looking at ways to allow Palestinians to stay here longer.
Large numbers of Palestinians have been refused visitor visas due to security concerns and, arguably, the politicisation of humanitarian assistance.
In any case, visitor visas are far from an ideal response in such cases. They are intended for a short, temporary period and do not give people access to any government services or social supports.
What’s wrong with other existing visas?
One of the problems with existing visas is that even those designed for emergencies can be too slow to provide urgent protection. In addition, they typically help only a small number of individuals in immediate danger.
Many visas are issued on a wholly discretionary basis. People must be invited to apply for them, and they cannot transition to a more permanent visa unless the minister permits them to do so.
In some cases, special visa arrangements have been created for particular groups of people, such as Kosovar refugees in the late 1990s. By contrast, no special humanitarian visa regime has been created for people fleeing conflicts in Gaza or Sudan.
The visa situation does not need to be this complicated. Yes, it can be reassuring for people to know there is more than one way to find safety in Australia. However, a preferable option would be to have an emergency visa that enables people to reach Australia lawfully and quickly, with a clear pathway to a long-term solution.
What should an emergency visa look like?
An emergency visa should enable people at risk to travel to Australia quickly and safely. Eligibility should be determined on the basis of sound and defensible principles, and guided by good practices from other countries and our own history.
For example, the government could identify eligible classes of people in need of humanitarian emergency visas. Relatives and diaspora communities in Australia could assist in identifying those with connections to Australia (such as family members, past residents and people with links to Australian companies or organisations).
This recommendation aligns with past practices of designating a particular cohort of people for protection. For instance, Australia’s former special assistance visa category (in use from 1991–2000) provided resettlement opportunities to categories of people with connections to Australia. This included those from the former Yugoslavia and Soviet Union, East Timor, Lebanon, Sudan, Myanmar, Vietnam, Sri Lanka and Cambodia, as well as Ahmadi Muslims.
An emergency visa should provide for an initial stay of 12 months. While this is shorter than some comparative visas, it would provide some certainty for people and allow for a reassessment of the circumstances in their country of origin after a year. At this point, they could either return voluntarily. Or, if it’s not safe to do so, they could be granted a pathway to permanent residence in Australia.
Emergency visas should also provide immediate access to services (including Medicare and Centrelink), as well as work and study rights, language and cultural support, and assistance with accommodation. Access to work and study rights would enable visa holders to support themselves and alleviate the demands on relatives, community organisations, social service agencies and the government.
Furthermore, anyone who is in Australia when a humanitarian emergency occurs in their home country should be granted an automatic visa extension or a bridging visa with the same conditions. This should not adversely affect their ability to apply for a different visa, including a protection visa.
Why a more predictable system is important
Establishing this kind of system would enable refugees fleeing conflict to rebuild their lives in Australia relatively quickly.
It would likely encourage people to take steps to get their qualifications recognised and seek jobs commensurate with their skills – benefiting both themselves and the Australian community.
It would also provide them with both legal and psychological security by removing the uncertainty and precarity of being stuck in a prolonged temporary status. Our research has shown this is detrimental to people’s mental health and wellbeing.
Australia has an opportunity to take a bold, dynamic and forward-looking approach that would show real leadership in responding to humanitarian emergencies in a timely, well-considered and compassionate manner.
Jane McAdam receives funding from the Australian Research Council. She is a member of the expert sub-committee of the Ministerial Advisory Council on Skilled Migration.
Regina Jefferies does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.
“Abolishing the Human Rights Commission could free up desperately needed resources to resolve real human rights breaches”, says ACT’s Justice spokesperson Todd Stephenson.
“The Human Rights Review Tribunal is overwhelmed and under-resourced, withcases taking years to resolve.
“The good news is there’s a bloated budget over at the Human Rights Commission just waiting to be reprioritised for something useful.
“While the Human Rights Review Tribunal actually defends against breaches of rights, the Human Rights Commission is a left-wing activist group more interested in pushing political agendas than addressing real human rights issues.
“It’s time to shut it down and use those resources to better support the human rights of New Zealanders.
“While the Commission burns through taxpayer money promoting co-governance and ‘hate speech’ laws, the Tribunal can’t provide justice for New Zealanders who truly need it.
“Instead of wasting taxpayer dollars on ideological projects, we could redirect funding to the Tribunal, where real people are seeking justice.
“Abolishing the Commission and properly funding the Human Rights Review Tribunal would result in fewer delays, better access to justice, and less taxpayer-funded nonsense.”
A warm welcome to you all as we gather to acknowledge the New Zealanders who were involved in peace support operations in Timor-Leste, and to remember those who lost their lives as a result of their service.
I acknowledge the many military and civilian veterans present, and I am pleased this national commemoration provides the recognition your service so greatly deserves.
Welcome to all the families and friends here among us, and to the members of the Timorese community.
I especially want to acknowledge the families and friends of the five New Zealand soldiers who so tragically lost their lives in Timor-Leste:
Private Leonard William Manning
Warrant Officer Class Two Tony Michael Walser
Staff Sergeant William Edward White
Private Boyd Regan Henare Atkins
Private Dean Russell Johnston.
I also want to pay tribute to the three personnel from Fiji, Ireland and Nepal who were serving under New Zealand command who lost their lives.
Every death in service is a tragedy, and my heart goes out to the families, friends and comrades who will be feeling the impact to this day. Our thoughts are with you today.
I acknowledge His Excellency Alfredo Pérez Bravo Dean of the Diplomatic Corps and Ambassador of Mexico, Her Excellency Felicidade de Sousa Guterres Ambassador of the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste, and all the members of the Diplomatic Corps who are here representing the many countries who served in Timor-Leste.
I acknowledge Vice Chief of Defence Force Rear Admiral Mathew Williams, here representing the Chief of Defence Force, all the representatives of the New Zealand Defence Force and the National President of the Returned and Services’ Association Sir Wayne Shelford.
I also acknowledge Greg O’Connor, Labour spokesperson for Veterans.
Yesterday, the 20th of September, marked the 25th anniversary of the arrival of New Zealand troops in Timor-Leste to contribute to peace operations led by Interfet, the International Force East Timor.
The troops came to the aid of the Timorese people at a time of extreme violence and destruction, in the aftermath of a referendum which had confirmed overwhelming support for independence.
New Zealanders served from 1999 to 2002 to support East Timor’s transition to a sovereign state, the Democratic Republic of Timor-Leste. After further violence broke out in 2006, New Zealand personnel were again deployed and continued to serve there until 2012.
Approximately 7000 New Zealand personnel were deployed over these years.
In fact, New Zealand was one of the largest contributors to international efforts. The Special Air Service, air transport and helicopter support, three naval ships, and an infantry battalion which included sub-units from Canada, Ireland, Nepal, Fiji and Singapore, along with members of the Territorial Force, were all deployed at times throughout the conflict.
Today is also a time to recognise the diplomats, members of the New Zealand Police and New Zealand Customs, prison officers, legal staff, medical professionals and other New Zealand civilians who served alongside Defence Force personnel.
On the Roll of Honour in the Hall of Memories at Pukeahu National War Memorial Park, our national place of remembrance, the names of the New Zealanders lost in Timor-Leste are commemorated among those of all who have died serving our country. I am pleased we have the Timor-Leste Roll on display here in the Cathedral today as we honour the deceased.
Today, let us also give thought to the suffering of the people of Timor-Leste and the impact of violence on their lives, homes and communities. Let us honour, too, their enormous courage in supporting independence despite the brutal repercussions from the militia.
It is the nature of service in times of conflict that strong bonds are forged – between service personnel, with local communities, and nation to nation.
We cherish our strong relationships with the Timorese people and the Timor-Leste government, relationships we owe to the contribution of our personnel and the trust they earned.
I understand Inspector Ray Sutton, former Commander of the first contingent of New Zealand Police to serve in the new nation, is with us today. I hope he doesn’t mind if I quote him about the importance of relationships:
We had to think on our feet — everything we did was through diplomacy. Probably our best asset was our ability to get on with people.
Ours is a relationship founded on shared values that are all the more important in today’s uncertain world – decency and human rights, democracy and the rule of law, equality and fairness, and guardianship and protection of our environment.
The New Zealand Defence Force still maintains a presence in Timor-Leste, supporting the professional development of the Timor-Leste military.
Because the peace support operations were relatively recent, many of those who served in Timor-Leste remain employed in the New Zealand Defence Force today. For all who were involved, the experiences in Timor-Leste must still be very close and vivid, and I know too that your experiences will have had lasting impacts on your lives.
I am glad that we have this opportunity as a nation to say thank you on this important anniversary.
We can be very proud of the contribution of New Zealand service personnel and civilians in Timor-Leste, standing alongside the local people and helping to provide a more secure and stable life during their country’s journey as the first new sovereign state of the millennium.
Twenty-five years after New Zealand’s involvement began, your deeds are enshrined in our nation’s memory, and your achievements, and the bonds you helped forge, will live on as a testament to your service.
At a time most people are trying to cut their weekly grocery bills, Australia’s supermarket giants have been hit with legal action for allegedly misleading shoppers over the price of hundreds of products.
The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) on Monday announced it was launching separate actions in the Federal Court against the largest and second-largest grocery chains, Woolworths and Coles.
The ACCC alleges the two have systematically misled consumers over price discounts on hundreds of everyday products. The ACCC chair, Gina Cass-Gottlieb, said the alleged wrongdoing involved the sales of “tens of millions” of products, reaping “significant” extra revenue for the businesses.
Woolworths’ list of 266 items included Arnott’s Tim Tams, Dolmio sauces, Doritos salsa, Friskies cat food, Kellogg’s cereal and Stayfree pads, while the 245 products allegedly targeted by Coles included Arnott’s Shapes biscuits, Band-Aids, Bega cheese, Cadbury chocolates and Libra tampons.
These were not one-off pricing errors. The ACCC alleges the misleading conduct took place over 20 months as part of the Woolworths “Prices Dropped” and the Coles “Down, Down” promotional campaigns.
How shoppers were allegedly misled
The ACCC alleges on repeated occasions the supermarkets’ strategy was to temporarily raise the price of goods before applying the so-called discount.
The approach meant that although the boldly placed, coloured discount tickets showed a reduction from the previous “regular” price of the products, the discounted price was still higher than the price before the temporary price rise.
The ACCC gave the example of how consumers were allegedly misled over savings on a 370-gram family pack of Oreo original biscuits.
From at least January 1 2021 until November 27 2022, Woolworths offered the Oreos for sale at a regular price of $3.50 on a pre-existing “Prices Dropped” promotion. Then, on November 28 2022, the price was increased to $5.00 for 22 days.
On December 20 2022, the product was placed on a “Prices Dropped” promotion with the tickets showing a “Prices Dropped” price of $4.50 and a “was” price of $5.00. The “Prices Dropped” price of $4.50 was in fact 29% higher than the product’s previous regular price of $3.50.
What is the legal claim?
The ACCC does not regulate prices. Instead, it acts on breaches of the Competition and Consumer Act 2010, including making false or misleading claims about the prices of goods and services.
While it was true that Woolworths and Coles reduced the shelf price of the products, the ACCC alleges they didn’t reveal that the starting price had recently been increased. It is this conduct of promoting a discount from a recently inflated price that the ACCC says would mislead consumers.
The ACCC’s argument is the “ordinary and reasonable” consumer expects a discount to be genuine, not coming off a recently inflated price. The net effect of that strategy is just an increased price.
Other cases
This is not the first time the ACCC has pursued such a claim. In 2020, the commission successfully went after online retailer Kogan for engaging in a similar strategy.
Kogan ran an online promotion advertising to consumers that they could use the code TAXTIME to reduce prices by 10% at the checkout. The court found the ads conveyed false or misleading representations because Kogan had increased the prices of more than 600 of its products immediately before the promotion by at least 10% per cent.
A similar strategy of offering discounts that were not genuinely delivered has also been raised against insurer IAG. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) alleges IAG did not deliver promised loyalty discounts to customers because their premiums were increased before the discount was applied by more than the amount of the discount.
IAG is now facing action for civil penalties from the regulator (ASIC) and a class action by affected customers.
Potential penalties Woolies and Coles might face
The ACCC is seeking fines (civil penalties) which could be significant. In the Kogan case, the Federal Court awarded penalties of $350,000.
But since November 2022, potential penalties have risen. These increases are designed to ensure companies do not treat the possibility of being penalised as a cost of doing business that is outweighed (and disregarded) by the benefits that might come from contraventions of the law.
These new penalty amounts work on a sliding scale: they start at $50 million but can go up to potentially 30% of a company’s turnover during the period of the contravening conduct.
This amount is per contravention. This means, if the ACCC’s allegations of misleading conduct are established, each time the supermarkets misled consumers, they would technically be liable to pay the full penalty amount.
That said, in such a case, a court would likely take a more holistic approach in setting the penalty, taking several matters into account including: the extent of the conduct, its impact on consumers, the gain to the business and whether the conduct was deliberate.
Fittingly, the ACCC is also asking the supermarkets to make a contribution to charities that provide food to people in need.
Notably, in May Qantas agreed with the ACCC to pay a penalty of $100 million, subject to court approval and in addition to compensating customers, for misleading conduct in selling tickets for flights it had already cancelled.
Jeannie Marie Paterson receives funding from the Australian Research Council and DFAT.
Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment, Dr. Virendra Kumar to preside over as Chief Guest during the Sign Language Day celebrations in New Delhi tomorrow Theme for the Sign Language Day-2024 is ‘Sign up for Sign Language Rights’
Posted On: 22 SEP 2024 2:00PM by PIB Delhi
Union Minister for Social Justice & Empowerment (SJE), Dr. Virendra Kumar will be the Chief Guest for the Sign Language Day-2024 celebrations tomorrow, at Bhim Hall, Dr. Ambedkar International Centre, Janpath, New Delhi. MoS (SJE), Shri B.L.Verma, will be the Guest of Honour on the occasion.
The Indian Sign Language Research and Training Centre (ISLRTC), New Delhi, under the aegis of Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities (Divyangjan) [DEPwD], Union Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment, will be organising the event.
The theme of this year Sign Language Day-2024 is ‘Sign up for Sign Language Rights’. The world will once again highlight the unity generated by sign languages. World leaders and other government officials are invited to strive towards a better implementation of the Rights of Person with Disabilities at the national level through the linguistic human rights of deaf people; And, to Sign up for sign language rights by working with our local and national associations to announce the achievement of a concrete goal for deaf communities on Sign Language day.
During the event, the following Indian Sign Language (ISL) terms and Videos will be launched:
Launch of 2500 terms in Indian Sign Language: To expand the existing ISL dictionary, ISLRTC has collaborated with 4 organizations working in the field and jointly developed the 2500 terms in Indian Sign Language. The organizations are YUNIKEE, Hyderabad for 1000 terms, India Signing Hands, Mumbai for 500 terms, Bridge Connectivity Solutions, Delhi for 500 terms and Anuprayaas, Mohali for 500 terms. The 2500 terms covers the various school subjects such as mathematics, science, language, geography and higher education areas such as philosophy, linguistics, computer science, etc., and sports, infrastructure, accessibility, etc.
Launch of 100 concept videos inISL: ISLRTC in collaboration with YUNIKEE developed 100 concept videos in Indian Sign Language for Hearing Impaired children of class 6th, covering various school subjects such as mathematics, science, social science and language. The special features of concepts videos are detailed explanation in ISL to develop concept clarity, graphical images to promote learning, Audio and subtitles to promote inclusive learning and illustration and examples to improve learning outcomes and academic achievements.
Launch of ISL dictionary in 10 languages: To promote accessibility, the ISL dictionary will be made available in 10 Regional Languages.
Launch of Educational Animated Videos in ISL: To develop morals values and new learning experience among hearing impaired children and to promote inclusive learning environment.
Launch of Deaf Role Model Videos in ISL: To create inspiration, motivation, sense of purpose, moral values and guidance among hearing impaired children.
The Centre conducted 7th Indian Sign Language Competition, 2024 – a national-level competition held for students with hearing disabilities. The students have showcased their creativity and knowledge by participating in the competition. All the winners of the 7th ISL competition will be distributed trophy and certificate during the Sign Language Day 2024 programme.
The ISLRTC celebrates the occasion every year ever since the United Nations declared 23rd September as the International Day of Sign Languages. DEPwD and ISLRTC are making all the possible efforts to bring more citizens, stakeholders, service-providing agencies, schools for deaf, NGOs, activists, deaf leaders, educators, researchers etc. together into the fold of Sign Language Day, in order to create positive awareness about ISL among all sections of our society.
The Day also reminds us of the need and importance of preserving sign languages as a part of linguistic and cultural diversity. All the professionals, parents of deaf, deaf students and institutions working in the field of Indian Sign Language, deaf education and differently-abled people from all walks of life are important target groups to rope into the Sign Language Day celebration.
Dignitaries gracing the occasion would include Shri Rajesh Aggarwal, Secretary, DEPwD; Dr. Sharanjeet Kaur, Chairperson, RCI; Shri Rajeev Sharma, Joint Secretary, DEPwD; and, Dr. Jitendra Sharma, Director, ISLRTC. Representatives from National Association of Deaf, All India Federation of Deaf Women andIndore Deaf Bilingual Academy and other representatives of the Deaf Community will also present on the occasion.
Three charged over $130,000 worth of stolen property
Monday, 23 September 2024 – 3:46 pm.
Three people have been charged after police recovered more than $130,000 worth of stolen property. Detectives from Northern Criminal Investigation Branch arrested a 22-year-old Kings Meadows man, a 28-year-old Mowbray man, and a 43-year-old Mowbray woman last week in relation to a recent series of burglaries in the northern suburbs of Launceston during which vacant residences and unlocked motor vehicles were targeted. During a subsequent search of a residence at Mowbray police seized the stolen property. They have each since been charged with aggravated burglary, possession of stolen property, stealing, trespass, and burglary and bailed to appear in the Launceston Magistrates Court at a later date. Tasmania Police reminds the community to ensure residences and vehicles are secure when left unattended, to deter opportunistic crime. Anyone with information should contact police on 131444 or anonymously by calling Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000 or online at crimestopperstas.com.au.
Source: United States Senator for Delaware Christopher Coons
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senators Tom Carper and Chris Coons (both D-Del.) joined a resolution led by Senator Patty Murray (D-Wash.) today reaffirming that every patient has the basic right to emergency health care, including abortion care, regardless of where they live. The introduction comes as new reporting from ProPublica makes plain that Republican abortion bans are preventing women from receiving lifesaving emergency health care, resulting in preventable deaths.
“Every American, no matter where they live, deserves to receive the health care that they need,” said Senator Carper. “Reproductive health care continues to be attacked all across our country. Women and their doctors, not politicians and judges, should make these private health care decisions.”
“New reporting makes clear what many Americans have suspected: Women are dying because of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v. Wade and conservative states’ Trumpian abortion bans,” said Senator Coons. “Since the elimination of the federal right to an abortion, pregnant women who are in desperate need of medical attention are being turned away from emergency rooms, while doctors are afraid of being jailed for providing lifesaving care. I will fight tirelessly to protect emergency abortion care so that women don’t have to take their lives into their own hands when becoming pregnant.”
“I introduced this resolution alongside my colleagues to simply reaffirm the basic principle that when you go to the ER, doctors should be allowed to treat you, and when you need emergency care – including abortion care – no politician should stop you from getting it,” said Senator Murray. “Yet here in America, in the 21st century, pregnant women die – not because doctors don’t know how to save them, but because doctors don’t know if Republicans will let them. Democrats will keep pressing to fully restore reproductive freedoms for every woman in America and we will continue to put a white-hot spotlight on the devastating, deadly fallout of Donald Trump’s abortion bans.”
Since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade two years ago, nearly two-dozen Republican-led U.S. states have banned or severely restricted access to abortion. These strict laws have created confusion around the treatment doctors can provide even when a pregnant patient’s life is in danger, as physicians fear that they may lose their medical license, be sued, or even charged with a felony if they perform lifesaving emergency care. Despite the federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act’s (EMTALA) requirements that Medicare-participating hospitals treat and stabilize pregnant patients in need of emergency medical care, pregnant people are being turned away from emergency rooms. New reporting by ProPublica this week reported on the death of Amber Furman, a Georgia woman who died of medical complications after failing to receive a routine medical procedure that doctors were afraid to carry out because of Georgia’s new anti-abortion law.
This summer, in Moyle v. United States, the U.S. Supreme Court had the opportunity to reaffirm that federal law requires pregnant patients to have access to lifesaving emergency care in every state, but instead, the court dismissed the case and sent it back to the lower courts, effectively punting on making a decision on the case itself. While the litigation continues in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, the health and lives of women remain at risk as uncertainty around emergency abortion care persists. One-hundred-and-twenty-one congressional Republicans, including 26 senators, filed an amicus brief arguing that EMTALA does not require hospitals to provide abortion care as emergency stabilizing care in order to save a patient’s life.
Alongside Senator Murray, U.S. Senators Jacky Rosen (D-Nev.), Tammy Baldwin (D-Wis.), and Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) co-led the introduction of the resolution. In addition to Senators Carper and Coons, this resolution is cosponsored by Senators Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.), Michael Bennet (D-Colo.), Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.), Cory Booker (D-N.J.), Laphonza Butler (D-Calif.), Maria Cantwell (D-Wash.), Ben Cardin (D-Md.), Bob Casey (D-Pa.), Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.), Tammy Duckworth (D-Ill.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), John Fetterman (D-Pa.), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-N.Y.), Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.), Martin Heinrich (D-N.M.),George Helmy (D-N.J.), Mazie Hirono (D-Hawaii), Tim Kaine (D-Va.), Angus King (I-Maine), Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.), Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Alex Padilla (D-Calif.), Gary Peters (D-Mich.), Jack Reed (D-R.I.), Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii), Jeanne Shaheen (D-N.H.), Tina Smith (D-Minn.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.), Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.), Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.), Raphael Warnock (D-Ga.), Peter Welch (D-Vt.), and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.).
The resolution is endorsed by Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Center for Reproductive Rights, In Our Own Voice: National Black Women’s Reproductive Justice Agenda, Reproductive Freedom For All (formerly NARAL Pro-Choice America), American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, National Women’s Law Center, Physicians for Reproductive Health, Power to Decide, National Latina Institute for Reproductive Justice, Guttmacher Institute, National Family Planning & Reproductive Health Association, All* Above All, National Asian Pacific American Women’s Forum, URGE: Unite for Reproductive and Gender Equity, National Council of Jewish Women, and National Partnership for Women and Families.
The House companion bill was introduced last week by U.S. Representatives Emilia Sykes (D-Ohio) and Mikie Sherrill (D-N.J.).
The full text of the resolution can be read here.
Director Rachel Rossi of the Office for Access to Justice (ATJ) traveled to Kansas this week to engage with stakeholders about the access to justice challenges rural communities face and to discuss innovative solutions. The visit built upon the ongoing work of ATJ to address the rural access to justice gap in the United States.
Director Rossi began by meeting with the Executive Director of Kansas Legal Services, a grantee of the Legal Services Corporation that serves all 105 counties in Kansas, to discuss the importance of civil legal aid, the barriers that low-income Kansans face in addressing their civil legal needs and the operational challenges of providing legal services in rural areas of the state. Director Rossi highlighted various initiatives, including the office’s work to expand and modernize the Federal Government Pro Bono Program — which mobilizes federal government employees to engage in pro bono work, often in partnership with legal service providers, and the online resource developed through the Legal Aid Interagency Roundtable to make federal funding opportunities more accessible for legal service providers.
Following her meeting with Kansas Legal Services, Director Rossi met with the Dean of the University of Kansas (KU) School of Law and Directors of the Law School’s Legal Aid Clinic, which offers students the opportunity to represent low-income clients in civil, criminal and juvenile cases under the guidance of supervising attorneys. Director Rossi and KU Law faculty discussed the recruitment and retention issues plaguing public defense and youth defense systems in Kansas. The clinical professors and Dean shared unique insight into current challenges and potential solutions to several access to justice issues in Kansas, focusing on creative recruitment strategies to encourage law students to pursue public interest and public defense careers.
Later in the day, Director Rossi met with the Executive Director and the Director of Special Projects for the Kansas State Board of Indigents’ Defense Services (BIDS), which oversees Kansas’ 18 regional public defender offices and manages the statewide assigned counsel program, legal services for people in prison, non-capital appellate services and capital defense. Director Rossi shared ATJ’s Public Defense Resource Hub, a digital compilation of federal resources and materials that can be used to support public defense. The meeting included a discussion of caseload and workload standards, the public defense recruitment and retention crisis and the expansion of public defense in Kansas. Following her meeting with BIDS, Director Rossi met with the Federal Public Defender for the District of Kansas, who also serves as the chair of the Defender Services Advisory Group, to discuss issues federal public defenders are facing, implementation of the Report and Recommendations Concerning Access to Counsel at the Federal Bureau of Prisons’ Pretrial Facilities and the innovative defense provided laptop program within the district that ensures discovery access for detained clients.
On Thursday, Sept. 19, Director Rossi met with the Rural Justice Initiative Committee, which was created in 2022 by the Kansas Supreme Court to collect information and data on unmet legal needs and the availability of legal help in rural Kansas and to issue a report and recommendations to address gaps and promote effective solutions. Director Rossi also met with the Supreme Court’s Access to Justice Committee and the Language Access Committee to discuss their programs in rural Kansas and ways in which ATJ can advance access to justice in rural areas. Director Rossi also had the opportunity to meet with a group of state court judges and Kansas Supreme Court justices who serve on these committees to hear their perspective on the role that the judiciary plays in addressing access to justice barriers in the state. She highlighted the work of ATJ to convene all 40 state access to justice commissions quarterly, and the office’s work to expand language access under the leadership of the department-wide language access coordinator.
Director Rossi next met with the Kansas Farm Bureau (KFB) Legal Foundation, an organization established by the Kansas Farm Bureau to provide legal education, information and research for those directly engaged in agriculture or related enterprises. They discussed the civil legal help provided by the KFB Legal Foundation to agricultural communities, including programs to educate farmers and ranchers about significant legal issues such as farm bankruptcy and probate issues, farm ownership transitions, agricultural land use and zoning and more. They also discussed the need for more attorneys and legal help in rural communities, and how the KFB Legal Foundation recently responded through the launch of a Rural Law Practice Grant to help defray the educational costs of law school and to encourage new attorneys to locate their legal practice in rural Kansas.
To conclude the trip, Director Rossi traveled to Washburn University Law School (Washburn Law), in Topeka, Kansas, to meet with faculty, administrators and students participating in Washburn Law’s Rural Law program that focuses on identifying rural externship and employment opportunities and providing support for students to transition into rural law practice. They discussed the program’s effort to expand the range of accelerated and remote study options to lower the barriers to rural students seeking a degree. This engagement highlighted the perspectives of law students, many with backgrounds from rural communities, on effective solutions to the rural lawyer shortage.
Director Rossi and ATJ staff met with faculty at the University of Kansas School of Law.Director Rossi and representatives from Kansas State Board of Indigents’ Defense Services.Director Rossi and ATJ staff convened with representatives from the Kansas Rural Justice Initiative, Access to Justice and Language Access Committees.Director Rossi engaged with Washburn University School of Law faculty and former and present law students.
The New Brunswick RCMP has issued an Alert Ready for Moncton and Shediac, NB, as police are searching for an armed individual.
The New Brunswick RCMP issued an Alert Ready at 2:48 p.m. on September 20, 2024. Police are searching for 15-year-old Parker Melanson who is reported to be carrying a firearm with dangerous intent in the Moncton and Shediac areas. Melanson was last seen in the area wearing a black muscle shirt.
He was last seen travelling in a grey Dodge Caravan with NB license plate number KEA 208.
If you see Parker Melanson or the Dodge Caravan please do not approach him and call 911 immediately. Updates will be provided @RCMPNB on social media.
Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime Alerts (b)
HAMMOND- Kenneth Christopher McGhee a/k/a “Sonny,” “Angel,” age 75, of Gary, Indiana, was sentenced by United States District Court Judge Philip P. Simon after being found guilty of racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine, and being a drug user in possession of a firearm following an 18-day jury trial, announced United States Attorney Clifford D. Johnson.
McGhee was sentenced to 360 months in prison followed by 3 years of supervised release.
According to court documents, the Sin City Deciples, originally formed in 1967 in Gary, Indiana, is an outlaw motorcycle organization in which its members and associates engaged in acts of violence, extortion, and narcotics distribution in the Northern District of Indiana and elsewhere. McGhee served as the “Founder” of the entire club and lead the conspiracy for decades, including during the charged period between 2009-2021. As the “Founder,” McGhee commanded and oversaw multiple acts of extortion and violence, including attempted murder, conspiracy to commit murder in retaliation for the death of a fellow Sin City member, and conspiracy to distribute large amounts of cocaine. At the time of his arrest, he unlawfully possessed at least 8 firearms and hundreds of rounds of ammunition.
The agencies involved in this prosecution were: the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the East Chicago Police Department, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Gary Police Department, the Griffith Police Department, the Hammond Police Department, the Internal Revenue Service-Criminal Investigation Division, the Lake County Sheriff’s Department, Indiana High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area officers and agents, the Merrillville Police Department, the Munster Police Department, and the Schererville Police Department. Also providing assistance were the Lake County Prosecutor’s Office, the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the Eastern District of Arkansas, the Northern District of Illinois, the Southern District of Indiana, the Western District of Kentucky, and the Western District of Pennsylvania.
This case was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys David J. Nozick and Michael J. Toth.
This case was part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
This case was also part of Project Safe Neighborhoods (PSN), a program bringing together all levels of law enforcement and the communities they serve to reduce violent crime and gun violence, and to make our neighborhoods safer for everyone. On May 26, 2021, the Department launched a violent crime reduction strategy strengthening PSN based on these core principles: fostering trust and legitimacy in our communities, supporting community-based organizations that help prevent violence from occurring in the first place, setting focused and strategic enforcement priorities, and measuring the results.
Update: Roy Russell was arrested today by Sheshatshiu RCMP. Police are still looking for wanted man, 31-year-old Matthew Daniel Nuna. Anyone with information is asked to contact the detachment (709-497-8700).
Following a violent home invasion that occurred at a residence in Sheshatshiu on September 8, 2024, arrest warrants have been issued for 43-year-old Roy William Russell and 31-year-old Matthew Daniel Nuna. Three other individuals have been arrested.
At approximately 7:00 p.m. on Sunday, Sheshatshiu RCMP received the report indicating that a number of individuals entered the home where bear spray was deployed and occupants of the home were assaulted with baseball bats. Suspects further caused heavy damages to the property and departed in a vehicle.
Russell and Nuna are charged with the following criminal offences:
Possession of a weapon for a dangerous purpose
Administering a noxious substance – four counts
Assault with a weapon – four counts
Assault causing bodily harm
Break and enter
Mischief over $5000 (damage to property)
Two other individuals, a 48-year-old man and a 34-year-old man, who were present during the crime, were arrested earlier this week as being party to the offences. Both were released on conditions and are set to appear in court at a later date. The vehicle used in the commission of the offence was seized as part of the investigation.
A third individual, 36-year-old Sebastien Benuen, was arrested yesterday morning. He appears in court today and is charged with the same criminal offences as Russell and Nuna (mentioned above).
The investigation is continuing.
Anyone having information on the current location of Roy Russell or Matthew Nuna is asked to contact Sheshatshiu RCMP at 709-497-8700. To remain anonymous, contact Crime Stoppers: #SayItHere 1-800-222-TIPS (8477), visitwww.nlcrimestoppers.comor use the P3Tips app.
Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)
NEW ORLEANS – United States Attorney Duane A. Evans announced that DEAN MEILLEUR (“MEILLEUR”), age 57, a resident of Slidell, Louisiana, was sentenced on September 17, 2024, for making or using false writings or documents to the United States Small Business Administration (SBA), in violation of Title 18, United States Code, Section 1001(a)(3).
According to court documents, MEILLEUR, submitted false writings and documents to the SBA to obtain Economic Impact Disaster Loans (“EIDL”). In his EIDL applications, among other things, MEILLEUR falsely represented that he was the owner of a trucking business formed in 2017 and, that he was eligible for EIDL funds. As a result of these false submissions, MEILLEUR obtained $147,400 from the SBA to which he was not entitled.
United States District Judge Brandon S. Long sentenced MEILLEUR to four (4) years of probation, payment of restitution in the amount of $147,400.00, and a $100 mandatory special assessment fee.
Anyone with information about allegations of attempted fraud involving COVID-19 can report it by calling the Department of Justice’s National Center for Disaster Fraud (NCDF) Hotline at 866-720-5721 or via the NCDF Web Complaint Form at: https://www.justice.gov/disaster-fraud/ncdf-disaster-complaint-form.
U.S. Attorney Evans commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation for investigating this matter. Assistant United States Attorney Andre J. Lagarde of the Public Integrity Unit is in charge of the prosecution.
Source: United States Department of Justice (National Center for Disaster Fraud)
HOUSTON – A 34-year-old former Houston resident has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud, announced U.S. Attorney Alamdar S. Hamdani.
From March 2020 until March 2021, Cora Chantail Custard conspired with others to submit false and fraudulent loan applications for financial assistance both personally and on behalf of others.
The co-conspirators submitted false applications to the Small Business Administration (SBA), Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and multiple state unemployment insurance agencies.
Over the course of the conspiracy, Custard resided in both Houston and San Antonio.
As part of her plea, Custard admitted to using her Facebook account to advertise her services to file fraudulent disaster relief applications. Custard’s posts repeatedly described the scheme to her social media followers as “doing apps,” with the ability to obtain between $6,000 and $8,000 for an application within four to seven days of filing.
Custard submitted or caused the submission of over 100 fraudulent Economic Injury Disaster Loan applications, at least 36 of which resulted in advance payments totaling $345,000.
Further investigation revealed Custard filed at least 30 fraudulent FEMA Disaster Benefit applications related to Hurricane Laura in August 2020 and Hurricane Sally in September 2020. At least 16 of those fraudulent applications resulted payouts totaling approximately $75,000.
Additionally, Custard committed several other fraudulent acts like filing over 100 false unemployment insurance applications in Michigan, Illinois and several other states for her own and others’ benefits. At least 20 of those fraudulent applications resulted in payments totaling approximately $200,000.
Due to her actions, multiple agencies lost a total of $620,000.
U.S. District Judge David Hittner will impose sentencing in January 2025. At that time, Custard faces up to five years in federal prison and a possible $250,000 maximum fine.
She was permitted to remain on bond pending that hearing.
The Department of Homeland Security-Office of Inspector General (OIG), IRS-Criminal Investigation, Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration, Social Security Administration-OIG, SBA-OIG and Department of Labor-OIG conducted the investigation.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Karen M. Lansden is prosecuting the case.
A 48-year-old man was ticketed by Bay d’Espoir RCMP for excessive speeding on Monday, September 16, 2024.
On Monday afternoon, just before 4:00 p.m., police observed a vehicle travelling 155km/h in an 80km/h zone on Route 360, south of Catbrook. A traffic stop was conducted. The driver was ticketed for speeding and was issued a licence suspension and the vehicle was seized and impounded.
RCMP NL continues to fulfill its mandate to protect public safety, enforce the law, and ensure the delivery of priority policing services in Newfoundland and Labrador. We thank the public for continuing to report incidents of excessive speed, dangerous driving and crimes within their communities.