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About Time is the national newspaper for Australian prisons and detention facilities

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ISSUE NO. 11
June 2025
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Legal Corner

Legal Q&A

By
Brian

Brian writes from Wolston CC in Queensland.

Ethan Cassidy

My name is Brian. A lot of guys here are talking about new legislation coming in the near future, but I haven’t found it anywhere. It is called “Daniel’s Law”. I was wondering if you could explain it and when it will take effect and who it will apply to?

Thank you and take care,

Brian.  

My name is Brian. A lot of guys here are talking about new legislation coming in the near future, but I haven’t found it anywhere. It is called “Daniel’s Law”. I was wondering if you could explain it and when it will take effect and who it will apply to?

Thank you and take care,

Brian.  

Legal Q&A

Do you have a general legal query that you want answered?
Is  there an area of law that you think people inside should know more about? Submit your question in the provided form, and we might publish an answer in the paper.

Submit Your Question

Legal Q&A

Legal Q&A

Legal Q&A

Anonymous
Anonymous

If you are charged with breaking a rule in prison, this can result in disciplinary action, in addition to potential criminal charges.

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 14

2 MIN READ

How to Complain to the Ombudsman

How to Complain to the Ombudsman

How to Complain to the Ombudsman

By About Time
By About Time

The Ombudsman is an independent organisation that oversees complaints against government decisions and actions. Each state/territory has their own Ombudsman. The Ombudsman responds to a complaint by investigating from both sides what has happened and why.

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 2

8 MIN READ

Be Prepared: New Restrictions on Mobile Phones in Immigration Detention

Be Prepared: New Restrictions on Mobile Phones in Immigration Detention

Be Prepared: New Restrictions on Mobile Phones in Immigration Detention

By Josephine Langbien
By Josephine Langbien

New laws mean that immigration detention officers can now confiscate things like mobile phones, iPads and laptops, which were previously allowed in detention centres. If you’re facing time in immigration detention at the end of your sentence, this article gives some practical tips to prepare for the new rules before you go.

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 19

3 MIN READ

Legal Q&A – No Body, No Parole

Legal Q&A – No Body, No Parole

Legal Q&A – No Body, No Parole

By About Time
By About Time

I wonder if you could explain the new "No Body No Parole" law in New South Wales, where now people charged with murder or manslaughter need letters from the head of police?

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 8

3 MIN READ

Inspectors’ Report!

By About Time

Inspectors and ombudsmen regularly go to prisons and publish reports on what they find and what they think needs to be improved. They also complete reports on issues such as access to healthcare or the use of segregation.

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 23

4 MIN READ

The Parole Patchwork: An Overview of Australia’s Parole Laws

By Human Rights Law Centre lawyer Monique Hurley, with assistance from Connor Shaw

In recent years, regressive reform of parole laws in many places has made it increasingly difficult for people in prison to access parole.

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 23

4 MIN READ

Open Air in Prison: Your Rights Explained

By Human Rights Law Centre and Prisoners’ Legal Service

With people in prisons across the country being subjected to an “epidemic of prison lockdowns”, it is important to note that bare minimum safeguards exist in law, in most jurisdictions, that purport to guarantee at least some time ‘in the open air’ each day for people behind bars.

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 22

5 MIN READ

Law and Healthcare: Why Can’t I Get My Usual Prescriptions From Prison?

By Prisoners' Legal Service Queensland

There is a lot of talk about human rights in prison – with things like ‘the Mandela Rules’, ‘the principle of equivalence’, and access to health care without discrimination.

Legal Corner

ISSUE NO. 21

2 MIN READ

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