Author adminPosted on Categories Criminal law, Professional discipline Leave a comment on Solicitor struck off for the second time Michael James Quinn has the dubious honour of being the first solicitor in Queensland legal history to be struck off twice.
Normally when a lawyer is removed from the roll (‘struck off’) that effectively ends their legal career, as they are permanently ineligible to obtain a practising certificate which would enable them to practice law again. In this case, the unusual history of the matter led to the practitioner being struck off twice. Continue reading “Solicitor struck off for the second time”
Author adminPosted on Categories Criminal law Leave a comment on Serial rapist’s prior convictions held to be admissible The Queensland Court of Appeal has upheld the convictions of a rapist whose prior rape convictions were admitted into evidence at his trial.
Mark Little had pleaded guilty to raping women on 2 November 1994, 12 November 1998 and 10 February 1999.
The complainant was a sex worker who was in a relationship with Little. On the morning of 19 November 2015 their relationship ended as a result of an exchange of acrimonious text messages between them.
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Author adminPosted on Categories Criminal law, Evidence, Liberty Leave a comment on Failure to appear conviction quashed on appeal
It is a criminal offence for a Defendant in criminal proceedings to fail to appear in court unless they have a reasonable excuse to do so. A recent case which resulted in an acquittal of such a charge sheds light on the meaning of reasonable excuse for the purposes of s33 of the Bail Act 1980 (Qld).
Continue reading “Failure to appear conviction quashed on appeal”
