Category Archives: General articles

Articles relevant to the subject of wrongful convictions

From the Archives: Dr Colin Manock, the forensic fraudster (retired) whose incompetence tainted 10,000 autopsies

Andrew L. Urban It was in the main street of Mintabie, 980 kms northwest of Adelaide, the remote opal mining community (now closed). It was 1978 and an Aboriginal man had been found dead, in mysterious circumstances. The Coroner sent … Continue reading

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Will Albo be called?

Andrew L. Urban It starts today. Witnesses will be heard at the Royal Commission into Antisemitism and Social Cohesion, starting with Alex Ryvchin,  co-chief executive of the Executive Council of Australian Jewry. Ever since the release of the Terms of … Continue reading

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The Lawyer X Scandal: Rule of Law or Necessary Evil?

STEVEN FENNELL explores both sides of the Nicola Gobbo debate, wrongful convictions and the fracture of Australian justice. 

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The Cost of Appellate Complacency — a personal account

In his post on April 25, 2026, The Record and the Reality:  What Transcripts Don’t Show in Criminal Appeal, STEVEN FENNELL argued that transcripts are an incomplete reconstruction of a trial. In this companion piece, he provides a cautionary tale … Continue reading

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Prosecutors at top of wish-list to minimise wrongful convictions

Andrew L. Urban  Wielding more power than judges and enjoying professional immunity, some Crown prosecutors fail to act in accordance with the responsibilities that come with that power. Any attempt to improve the legal system should start by enforcing the … Continue reading

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Special Forces Operator Scott Jones: The Truth About Ben Roberts-Smith

Hosted by Sam Bamford, a former Australian Army infantry paratrooper and combat veteran with a deployment to Afghanistan in 2012, the 2 Worlds Collide Podcast has evolved into one of Australia’s most outspoken independent platforms. In this must-see episode, Special … Continue reading

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“War crimes charges will put legal system to the test”

Andrew L. Urban  That’s not my headline: it is the headline on an editorial in The Australian (April 9, 2026) and mirrors my own of the day before, referring to the five murder war crimes charges against Ben Roberts-Smith. The … Continue reading

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Australia’s bravest soldier faces war crimes murder trial. Will it be fair? Can it be?

Andrew L. Urban The trial of Victoria Cross recipient Ben Roberts-Smith for five war crime murders will be one of the most consequential criminal trials in Australian history. Under all the circumstances, including time elapsed, limited evidence and unpreserved crime … Continue reading

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Easter story 2: resurrection or the races?

Andrew L. Urban “If it’s not actually true, if Jesus didn’t rise from the dead in his body, I’d rather be at the races,” wrote one national columnist and devout Christian on Easter Saturday. That sentiment prompted this post.

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Dear Judges, please glue common sense to your learned-ness

Andrew L. Urban “It’s a new world. It’s the same Constitution.” Coming from the Chief Justice of the US Supreme Court in the context of the consequential birthright citizenship debate, this is disturbingly lacking common sense. Arguably the best definition … Continue reading

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