Teen car chase through mall + Character reference ban for sex offenders
The Briefing29 Sep 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.

Avsnitt(2543)

Has the Bali bombmaker been deradicalised?

Has the Bali bombmaker been deradicalised?

On the eve of the 20th anniversary of the Bali bombings, the bombmaker Umar Patek became eligible for parole.  Patek had his sentence reduced last month with Indonesian authorities claiming he’s been ...

26 Sep 202221min

Mystery USB stick reveals cosmetic surgery nightmare

Mystery USB stick reveals cosmetic surgery nightmare

They have been dubbed "cosmetic cowboys" and now the federal government is reining them in. Antoinette Lattouf talks to investigative journalist Adele Ferguson about the numerous patients that have sp...

25 Sep 202220min

Nakkiah Lui’s biggest role yet

Nakkiah Lui’s biggest role yet

Nakkiah Lui is an actor, writer and comedian. She is a Gamilaroi and Torres Strait Islander woman who is well known as a passionate, determined advocate for the rights and equality of First Nations pe...

23 Sep 202230min

The Aussie invention that lets you type using your mind

The Aussie invention that lets you type using your mind

Imagine you could control digital devices using just the power of thought. Although it’s a little more complex than that, an implantable brain-computer interface is essentially trying to do just that....

22 Sep 202222min

Why are crime rates falling?

Why are crime rates falling?

Did you know crime statistics in Australia have been steadily falling over the last 20 years. We are now living arguably some of our safest lives ever. We speak with former director of the NSW Bureau ...

21 Sep 202218min

The campaign to bring back the Tasmanian Tiger

The campaign to bring back the Tasmanian Tiger

A campaign has been launched to bring back the Tasmanian Tiger; the carnivorous marsupial extinct in Australia since the 1930s. Despite hundreds of sightings in ensuing years, the Tassie Tiger – or th...

20 Sep 202221min

Pre-bunking: how to identify misinformation

Pre-bunking: how to identify misinformation

Google is trying out pre-bunking techniques in a number of eastern European countries after a study found pre-bunking helped ‘inoculate’ people against misinformation.  The study showed 30,000 partici...

19 Sep 202222min

Indigenous perspectives on the Queen’s funeral

Indigenous perspectives on the Queen’s funeral

The Queen’s funeral is tonight and it’s expected to be the most-watched television event of all time. Four billion people are expected to tune in. It will be the end of an era in Australia with King C...

18 Sep 202220min

Populärt inom Politik & nyheter

motiv
aftonbladet-krim
rss-krimstad
p3-krim
fordomspodden
flashback-forever
rss-viva-fotboll
aftonbladet-daily
spar
svenska-fall
rss-sanning-konsekvens
rss-vad-fan-hande
rss-krimreportrarna
rss-frandfors-horna
grans
kungligt
dagens-eko
olyckan-inifran
krimmagasinet
svd-ledarredaktionen