Legal Studies Media Research File- Task 1

By Riley Lawer
Line: LEGB Line 2
Teacher: Ross Burton

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 Table of Contents

Cover page ............................................................................................................................ 1

Table of Contents ..................................................................................................................2
Article 1 ................................................................................................................................. 3
Article 2 ................................................................................................................................. 4
Article 3 ................................................................................................................................. 5
Article 4 ................................................................................................................................. 6
Article 5 ................................................................................................................................. 7
Article 6 ................................................................................................................................. 8
Article 7 ................................................................................................................................. 9
Article 8 ............................................................................................................................... 10
Article 9 ............................................................................................................................... 11
Article 10 .............................................................................................................................12
Article 11 .............................................................................................................................13
Article 12 .............................................................................................................................14
Bibliography ........................................................................................................................ 15

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 Article 1

Topic: Shelter
Housing crisis driving surging demand for homelessness support

Legal Issue: Homeless support Australians are increasingly turning to homelessness support as the cost of living and housing crisis hit
hard.

Nearly 100,000 Australians experienced such financial hardship in 2022 that they needed to seek specialist
Date:23/12/22 homeless support, an increase of 9.2 per cent.

Tasmanians suffered the greatest rise, where there was an increase of 18.9 per cent of people seeking help,
followed by Western Australia at 15.4 per cent and South Australia at 12.9 per cent.
Source: The Daily Telegraph Online Article
NSW, which makes up over a quarter of people needing help, experienced a 10.4 per cent increase.

Australia’s median weekly rent now sits at $520 for houses and $460 for units – jumping to $640 for a
Author: Eli Green home in Sydney after a price rise of 12.3 per cent in the past year, according to PropTrack.

Homelessness Australia CEO Kate Colvin has warned urgent attention is needed.

Terms: “When the number of Australians seeking homelessness support because of finance and housing issues
nudges double digits, the alarm should be sounding loudly,” Ms Colvin said.
 Homeless “Australia has record low unemployment and on the back of commodity prices, some of the healthiest
 Cost of living public finances in the world. We can do more to assist people who have been left behind.”

 Housing crisis An estimated 116,427 people were homeless on Census night in 2016.

 Financial hardship The shocking statistics come as rental vacancy rates drop across Australia, with the national rate sitting at 1
per cent, according to SQM research.
 Homelessness support Adelaide’s vacancy rate has hit 0.5 per cent, while Perth has reached 0.4 per cent.
 Resolution Hobart is sitting at 0.6 per cent, while Sydney is higher at 1.6 per cent.
 Housing stress Ms Colvin urged the government to do more to support people facing homelessness.
 Support “Recent initiatives from the Commonwealth to expand social and affordable housing are very welcome,
but the scale of this problem is expanding, not shrinking,” she says.

“As a society, our new year’s resolution should be to get serious about housing stress and homelessness.

“All Australians deserve a stable, secure home. This should be a right, not a privilege.“

Definition:
Homelessness support: help given to the homeless to help out the homeless population run by non-for-
profit organisation or government run organisation to provide food, shelter, and financial assistance to the
homeless.

Summary: The number of people who have turned to homelessness support has been increasing in
Australia due to the rise of the cost of living and the housing crisis. Almost 100,000 people have
experienced financial difficulties in 2022 that needed to seek specialised homeless support. Tasmania
suffered the highest rise with an increase of 18.9% that needed to seek financial support. Rent increases
and housing prices have caused the increase for homeless support.

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 Article 2

Topic: Technology and the Law Hackers attack 12 Australian companies with education phishing scam

Hackers have broken into at least 12 Australian companies using a sophisticated campaign that
Legal Issue: Hacking compromised an online education provider then impersonated it to gain access to other firms’ systems.

Construction and legal services companies were targeted by the campaign, which used the online education
Date: 31/1/23 provider’s platform to host phishing infrastructure that sent links with fake Microsoft and Adobe login
pages.

Source: Financial Review Online Article A phishing scam, which often comes in the form of an email, is designed to trick targets by imitating a
legitimate company or service.

Author: Max Mason After users logged in with their credentials in the scam, it gave the hackers access to companies’ IT systems.

Australian cybersecurity firm CyberCX, which discovered the phishing and impersonation campaign, found
Terms: at least one hacker had been abusing the online learning platform since March 2021.
CyberCX did not name the education provider.
 Hacking
Katherine Mansted, director of cyber intelligence and public policy at CyberCX, said hackers of all varieties,
 Phishing including criminal groups and nation states, had increasingly exploited trusted names, brands and
 Legal services individuals, particularly from Australia.

 Targeted “We’ve seen that being used because, in general, Australia in our region in the Pacific is a trusted entity,”
she said.
 Scam
 Legitimate “This is an example where that trust is a known brand, and known organisation, [and] is being exploited by,
likely, criminals, for their follow-up cybercrime activities.”
 IT systems
 Abusing
 Criminal groups
 Exploited
 Criminals
 Cybercrime

Definition:
Hacking: the attainment of unauthorised access to data in a system or computer

Summary: Hackers have broken into 12 Australian companies using a sophisticated strategy that has
compromised a online education provider. They impersonated it to access other firms for hacking
purposes. They hacked into construction and legal service companies were the target of their campaigns.
Phishing infrastructure that sent links with fake Microsoft and Adobe login pages. After people logged in
the hackers had access to the companies IT systems.

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 Article 3

Topic: International Crime

Legal Issue: Spying

Date: 19/2/23

Source: Sun Herald

Author: Sam Tobin

Legal Terms:
 Spying
 Treachery
 Jailed
 Court
 Crime
 Sentenced
 Prison
 Guilty
 Investigation
 Evidence
 Arrested
 Police
 Judge

Definition
Spying: is the act of obtaining secret or confidential information about a highly sensitive matter and
supplying it to a foreign power.

Summary: David Ballantyne Smith collected confidential information about the British embassy in Berlin
from working as a security guard. He collected secret information for over three years and was spying on
the British as a Russian spy. Smith was sentenced to 13 years and two months in prison for spying on the
British and leaking confidential information to Russia.

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 Article 4

Topic: Shelter

Legal Issue: Hearing

Date: 18/2/23

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

Author: Kate McClymont

Terms:
 Hearing
 Evidence
 Lawyers
 Conduct
 Banned
 Investigations
 Malpractice
 Cases
 Inquiry
 Witnessing
 Barrister

Definition
Hearing: a procedure where you give evidence and arguments on a matter where they are presented on a
subject to be decided by a person or body of authority.

Summary: Charlie Teo has been put to a disciplinary hearing to give evidence on a catastrophic and futile
surgery he performed on a Perth woman who had a high grade brain stem glioma. He allegedly lied under
oath of the risks with the surgery and how he told his patients. By saying that there would be a 5 percent
chance of death from the surgery and after the surgery the patient started to go backwards and eventually
died.

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 Article 5

Topic: Crime

Legal Issue: Assault

Date: 18/2/23

Source: Sydney Morning Herald

Author: Megan Gorrey

Terms:
 Assault
 Arrested
 Allegedly
 Police
 Investigation
 CCTV
 Incident
 Appeal
 Warrant
 Assault occasioning actual bodily harm
 Stalking or intimidation with the intent to cause harm
 Officers
 Charged
 Breach of Bail
 Assaulting an officer executing their duty

Definition:
Assault: an intentional use of physical force used against a person this is either by punching, kicking or
hitting a person.

Summary: A man has been charged after allegedly assaulting a woman while she was jogging. CCTV
footage of the incident was released. Police arrested the man and was charged with a number of offenses
including assault occasioning actual bodily harm, stalking or intimidation with the intent to cause harm and
assaulting an officer executing their duty, he also breached his bail.

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 Article 6

Topic: Crime

Legal Issue: Punishment

Date: 18/2/23

Source: Sydney

Author: Sarah McPhee

Terms:
 Punishment
 Jailed
 Guilty
 Court
 Jury
 Murder
 Stolen Property
 Tortured
 Reprehensible
 Premeditated
 Evidence
 Remorse
 Sentenced
 Imprisonment
 Parole
 Custody

Definition:
Punishment: a penalty inflicted on a person who has committed an
offense

Summary: A man has been charged for the murder of Justin Tsang, a
17 year old teenager. The man was found guilty by the NSW Supreme
Court and the teenager’s body was found wrapped in plastic at
Wentworth Falls. The man was sentenced to 35 years in prison as
punishment for the murder of 17 year old Justin Tsang.

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 Article 7

Topic: Human Rights

Legal Issue: Protest

Date: 19/2/23

Source: Sun Herald

Author: N/A

Terms:
 Protest
 Executed
 Charges
 Police
 Arrest
 Human Rights Activists
 Organization for Human Rights

Definition:
Protest: to express strong disapproval or disagreement or objection to a certain issue or event.

Summary: Protestors in Iran have marched through cities through protests and demonstrations to express
their strong disapproval of the two men who were executed in Iran on charges related to the protest. The
protests began because of the death of 22 year old Masha Aminia after being arrested by morality police
on September 16th.

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 Article 8

Topic: Technology and the Law Have a heart-to-heart with loved ones to help stop scams this Valentine's Day

Australians are being urged to have a heart-to-heart with their friends and family members this
Legal Issue: Scams Valentine’s Day, as they can play a vital role in protecting their loved ones from the heartache
caused by scams.

Date: 12/2/23 New Scamwatch data reveals more than $40 million was lost to romance scams in 2022.

There were 3,698 reports of romance scams made to the ACCC’s Scamwatch in 2022, up eight per
cent compared to the previous year. Close to half of these reports involved scammers with fake
Source: Australian Competition & profiles contacting their victims via mobile apps and social networking platforms.
Consumer Commission “Scammers are cold-hearted criminals who use unscrupulous tactics to trick their victims into
sharing their personal details and emptying their wallets. As more Australians meet people through
social media and mobile dating apps, it has never been more important to be absolutely sure of
Author: N/A who you are communicating with,” ACCC Deputy Chair Catriona Lowe said.

“That’s why we are asking Australians to check in with the people they love and to help them
recognise the signs if a person they’ve met online isn’t real.”

“Romance scammers will pull on their victim’s heartstrings to get what they want. We know of an
Australian woman who lost more than $250,000 after an online relationship with a man who
Terms: claimed to be an overseas doctor needing money for medical equipment.”
 Scams “Distressing romance scam stories are sadly all too common and highlight the need for friends,
 Scam Watch family, businesses and the community to talk more about scams,” Ms Lowe said.

 Data “If you are concerned that someone you know could be involved in a romance scam, have a calm
conversation with them and ask gentle questions about the nature of the relationship, such as why
 Reports they haven’t been able to video chat or meet in person.”
 Scammers “Warn them not to share personal photos or videos as these can be used by scammers to blackmail
 Victims their victims and tell them to contact their bank immediately if they have lost money,” Ms Lowe
said.
 Criminals
 Blackmail

Definition:
Scams: tricking people into handing over their money or personal information to be used for illegal gain by
the scammers.

Summary: There are many valentines day scams to try and trick you into buying something for your loved
ones. More than $40 million dollars was lost due to romance scams in 2022. 3,698 reports of romance
scams were made to the ACCC’s Scam watch which has increased 8 percent from the previous year.
Australians are being urged to watch out for these scams in protecting your loved ones from being
scammed.

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 Article 9

Topic: Technology and the Law 'Disturbingly high': One in four Australians engaging in online piracy

After two years of decline, piracy rates have rebounded with one-in-four Australians admitting to having unlawfully
Legal Issue: Piracy consumed online media in 2022.

Roughly one-in-four Australians pirated online content in 2022, as rates of unlawfully consumed media rebounded
across film, television, music, and live sports viewership.
Date: 10/2/23
The 2022 Consumer Survey on Online Copyright Infringement found an increase in the number of Australians illegally
accessing media online after two years of declining piracy rates.
Source: SBS News
Video games were the only category with a continued decline in unlawful consumption, whereas movie, television,
music and live sport piracy all grew by two to five per cent between 2021 and 2022.
Author: N/A
Attorney-General Mark Dreyfus said the statistics were "disturbingly high" and hoped new technologies would be
adapted to protect Australian artists while ensuring consumers can still easily enjoy entertainment media.
Terms:
 Piracy In 2023, Australia's favourite shows and movies could be spread over as many as 10 different streaming services, most
of which increased their subscription prices in the two years.
 Unlawfully
 Pirated The report also showed 26 per cent of respondents allowed someone outside their household to use their login details.

 Copyright Infringement With streaming king Netflix set to crackdown on password sharing, at least 1.5 million viewers will be booted from the
 Attorney General service by March.

 Protect Compounded with the growing cost of necessities and inflation at a three-decade high of 7.8 per cent, the allure of free
content is more tempting than ever.
 Enforcement
 Illegally The biggest driver of piracy was the draw of free content, with 31 per cent of respondents saying they would be more
likely to illegally access media if they didn't have to pay - an increase of three per cent compared to 2020.

Although 64 per cent of Australians still believed pirating content was wrong, this was a four per cent decrease from
the previous year.

The federal government has announced a review of copyright enforcement mechanisms open for public consultation
Definition:
Piracy: the unauthorised replication of copyrighted content that is then sold at a substantially lower price.

Summary: Piracy has increased in Australia after two years of declining piracy rates with at least one in four
admitting they have unlawfully viewed online media in 2022. 26 percent of people allowed someone
outside of their home to have access to use their login details. 1.5 million viewers are expected to be
booted from Netflix as they crackdown password sharing.

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 Article 10
Topic: Human Rights

Legal Issue: Kids in Jail

Date: 21/2/23

Source: The Saturday Telegraph Newspaper

Author: N/A

Terms:
 Kids in Jail
 Criminal responsibility
 Prison
 Prosecuted
 Commit
 Violent Crimes
 Rights of the child
 United Nations
 UN Committee on the Rights of the Child
 Release kids out of prison

Definition:
Kids in prison: a confinement or captivity in which a child is locked up in jail for committing an offence.

Summary: The NSW Greens want to raise the age of criminal responsibility to 14 years of age and make
sure that no child under the age of 16 goes to prison. The Greens are going to push the next elected NSW
state government to raise the age a child can be charged. The Greens want more services and support for
kids to put them on the right path. The Victorian and Northern Territory state governments have already
committed to raising the age. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has strongly recommended
that Australia should raise the age in which kids in prison can be released if under 16 years of age. They
also recommended that Australia needs to expand more diversionary programs to keep kids out of prison.

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 Article 11

Quad bike safety checks show improved compliance

Topic: Consumer Law
Ninety-four per cent of new quad bikes assessed by Australia’s consumer law regulators
were compliant with the national safety standard that has been in force since October last
Legal Issue: Compliance year, a nationwide surveillance program has found.

The ACCC worked with state and territory consumer protection and work health and safety
agencies to conduct a second annual round of surveillance activities, inspecting over 440
Date: 24/11/22 quad bike dealers in the process. Manufacturers and dealers were warned where minor
non-compliance issues were found. The ACCC and state and territory consumer protection
agencies are investigating a small number of instances where potentially serious non-
Source: Australian Competition compliance was identified, including in relation to the safety of the operator protection
devices.
and Consumer Commission
“It’s encouraging to see compliance with the standard has improved from 84 per cent in
2021 to 94 per cent this year. It shows that manufacturers and dealers are taking their
Author: N/A obligations seriously and have co-operated with our investigations, taking steps to fix
problems when necessary,” ACCC Deputy Chair Mick Keogh said.

“Where we found non-compliance, it was largely due to quad bikes being displayed at the
Terms: point of sale without age warning labels, rollover warning labels, lateral roll stability tags
 Compliance or owner manuals.”

 National Safety Standards 18

Tragically, there have been 180 deaths associated with the use of quad bikes since 2011.
 In Force The number of deaths has reduced significantly since 2020 when there were 24 lives lost in
quad bike incidents, to 11 in 2021 and nine so far this year.
 Surveillance
 Consumer protection “We don’t want to see anyone hurt or killed while riding a quad bike, so we are urging
Australians to heed the safety advice and take extra care in areas that have been impacted
 Conduct by recent heavy rain and flooding. Sadly, we see more quad bike accidents happen during
the summer holiday period so now is the time to make sure your quad bike is safe,
 Inspecting including by fitting operator protection devices,” Mr Keogh said.

 Warned
 Non compliance issues
 ACCC
 Investigations
 Protection
 Obligations

Definition:
Compliance: being in accordance with specific standards, and obey rules set by a standards body

Summary: The increase of quad bike safety checks have shown improved compliance towards National
Safety Standards. The ACCC and other consumer protection agencies have been investigating certain
incidents where serious non compliance was identified in relation to safety of operator protection devices.
In the years quad bike incidents have decreased due to higher regulation of health and safety guidelines.

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 Article 12

Topic: Shelter

Legal Issue: Court

Date:25/2/23

Source: The Saturday Telegraph Newspaper

Author: N/A

Terms:
 Court
 Police
 Allegedly
 Police search
 Stolen
 Reported
 Unlawful possession

Definition:
Court: a place legal cases and trials are conducted to prove if someone is guilty or innocent of the case
brought against them.

Summary: A woman must face court after police allegedly found 11 boxes of Lego in her car. A black BMW
was pulled over by the police when a man allegedly ran from the car and the woman stopped in the car
and police searched the vehicle and found two ice pipes, a bank card allegedly stolen and 11 sets of brand-
new Lego in a garbage bag. The woman got reported for unlawful possession of the Lego and for the
possession of ice pipes equipment.

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 Bibliography / Reference Sheet

Article 1:
The Daily Telegraph Online Article
Dictionary

Article 2:
Financial Review Online Article
Dictionary

Article 3:
Sun Herald Newspaper Article
Dictionary

Article 4:
Sydney Morning Herald Newspaper Article
Dictionary

Article 5:
Sydney Morning Herald Newspaper Article
Dictionary

Article 6:
Sydney Morning Herald Newspaper Article
Dictionary

Article 7:
Sun Herald Newspaper Article
Dictionary

Article 8:
Australian Competition & Consumer Commission Online Article
Dictionary

Article 9:
SBS News Online Article
Dictionary

Article 10:
The Saturday Telegraph Newspaper Article
Dictionary

Article 11:
Australian Competition and Consumer Commission Online Article
Dictionary

Article 12:
The Saturday Telegraph Newspaper Article
Dictionary
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