If anyone wants a recent/ongoing case for crime the Bowraville case is really good because you can talk about law reform in terms of the 'Double Jeopardy' law and how the CJS must balance the rights of the victim and the offender and the safety of society.
Bowraville Murders Almost a quarter of a century ago three Aboriginal children, Colleen Walker, Clinton Speedy-Duroux and Evelyn Greenup, were murdered in Bowraville and their killer still walks free. The circumstances surrounding the three children’s murders have clear similarities, however the legal system at the time prevented all the murders being tried together. This meant crucial evidence was missing from each trial and justice has not been achieved.
3 children
Circumstances have clear similarities
Prevented from being tried together
Crucial evidence was missing from each trial
Justice has not been achieved
In November 2014 a NSW parliamentary committee recommended that the government review the double jeopardy principle – a rule preventing a person facing criminal trial more than once for the same crime. This is because the only exception is that a person accused of a very serious crime can only be retried where there is ‘fresh and compelling evidence’. When this expectation was introduced in 2006, the families of Bowraville believed that this would allow the alleged killer to be tried for all three murders. However, then arose the issue of whether the evidence in the Bowraville cases met the legal definition of ‘fresh’. Some of the evidence linking the cases to each other and the alleged killer was available during one of the trials but it was ruled as inadmissible.
Parliamentary committee recommended review of double jeopardy principle
Retrial only with ‘fresh and compelling evidence’
Does evidence meet the legal definition of ‘fresh’
Some evidence ruled as inadmissible
In the next couple of months, the relatives of Evelyn Greenup, Colleen Walker and Clinton Speedy-Duroux will travel to the Court of Criminal Appeal in Sydney to finally see the case heard for a retrial. It will be the latest, but arguably the most significant, feat this family from a tiny, socially disadvantaged town on the north coast has achieved in their 26-year pursuit for justice.
There is a podcast about it and it is really, REALLY GOOD.
https://soundcloud.com/the-australian-1/bowraville-bonus-episode-the-phone-call
You can also talk about it in terms of appeals
'Justice over Bowraville murders as case goes to appeal court'
http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/state-politics/justice-over-bowraville-murders-as-case-goes-to-appeal-court/news-story/5cd6db5fa417408bf68cec88da49f053