Teen car chase through mall + Character reference ban for sex offenders
The Briefing29 Syys 2025

Teen car chase through mall + Character reference ban for sex offenders

Calls are mounting to abolish the use of character references in court sentencing, following Queensland’s recent legislation restricting their use in cases involving convicted sex offenders.

Character references have long played a controversial role in high-profile cases, including when former Prime Minister John Howard gave one to Cardinal George Pell, describing him as ‘a person of both high intelligence and exemplary character’. More recently in the case of paedophile Ashley Paul Griffith who has pleaded guilty to over 300 charges, also benefited from character references.

In this episode of The Briefing Helen Smith, is joined by victim-survivor Josh Byrnes, the ACT representative from Your Reference Ain’t Relevant campaign, to explain how character evidence works in court and why advocates want them abolished.

Afternoon headlines: Teens arrested in Melbourne CBD after a police pursuit, Opposition leader Sussan Ley calls for independent inquiry into the 'entire triple-zero ecosystem' and Bad Bunny to headline 2026 Super Bowl half-time show

Further listening: How to stop teen machete murders

Follow The Briefing:
TikTok: @thebriefingpod
Instagram: @thebriefingpodcast
YouTube: @TheBriefingPodcast
Facebook: @LiSTNR Newsroom

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Jaksot(2542)

Badness: an ex top cop on why some people are evil

Badness: an ex top cop on why some people are evil

As a detective, Gary Jubelin used to sit on one side of the interview room table facing murderers, child abductors and rapists. Now he’s sitting on the other side: disgraced, forced out of the police ...

6 Syys 202222min

Japan reboots its nuclear reactors

Japan reboots its nuclear reactors

Japan is planning a dramatic shift back to nuclear power more than a decade on from the Fukushima disaster. Prime Minister Fumio Kishida announced last week Japan will restart idle reactors and develo...

5 Syys 202219min

How your friends impact your bank balance

How your friends impact your bank balance

A new study has found friendships between rich and poor can reduce poverty. The study looked at thousands of social media connections and found if poor children grew up in neighbourhoods where 70% of ...

4 Syys 202222min

Johnny Ruffo & Jamila Rizvi have something surprising in common

Johnny Ruffo & Jamila Rizvi have something surprising in common

Johnny Ruffo is an Australian singer, songwriter, dancer, actor, television personality and now a newly minted author, with his memoir No Finish Line.     Johnny auditioned for X-Factor Australia in 2...

2 Syys 202227min

Where the big money is

Where the big money is

Could your next job be in tech? Job shortages are hitting the Australian economy hard, mostly in lower-skilled lower-paid jobs. One sector is bucking the trend; the tech sector is growing, with the nu...

1 Syys 202222min

The Chris Dawson guilty verdict explained

The Chris Dawson guilty verdict explained

In one of the most anticipated courtroom verdicts in living memory, Chris Dawson was this week found guilty of murdering his wife Lynette more than 40 years ago. A packed court heard Dawson murdered h...

31 Elo 202215min

Could the teal wave crash upcoming state elections

Could the teal wave crash upcoming state elections

At May’s federal election, six so-called teal independents defeated six sitting Liberal MPs. Teal is a mix of green and blue - so voters saw the six candidates as having conservative views, while supp...

30 Elo 202220min

What they found in the drugs: Canberra’s pill testing trial

What they found in the drugs: Canberra’s pill testing trial

Back on July 19th, Australia’s first fixed pill testing site opened in Canberra’s city centre. The pilot program is running two nights a week for six months. Pill testing was one of the recommendation...

29 Elo 202219min

Suosittua kategoriassa Politiikka ja uutiset

aikalisa
rss-ootsa-kuullut-tasta
tervo-halme
ootsa-kuullut-tasta-2
politiikan-puskaradio
viisupodi
rss-podme-livebox
rss-vaalirankkurit-podcast
otetaan-yhdet
et-sa-noin-voi-sanoo-esittaa
rss-asiastudio
the-ulkopolitist
linda-maria
rss-kaikki-uusiksi
rss-merja-mahkan-rahat
io-techin-tekniikkapodcast
rikosmyytit
rss-mina-ukkola
rss-pykalien-takaa
rss-kuka-mina-olen