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(2535)

Could an Australian be the creator of Bitcoin

Could an Australian be the creator of Bitcoin

Who is Satoshi Nakamoto? The question of who is behind that pseudonym has been one of the biggest mysteries of the financial world for over a decade. Whoever Nakamoto is, whether it’s an individual...

23 Nov 202119min

The story behind the migrant crisis at the Belarus/Poland border

The story behind the migrant crisis at the Belarus/Poland border

Thousands of migrants are trapped on the Belarus/Poland border. The asylum seekers from the Middle East have clashed with border police as even more arrive desperate to be let into the European Union...

22 Nov 202121min

Nats What I Reckon!!!

Nats What I Reckon!!!

Nats What I Reckon started posting review videos on YouTube 15 years ago. He has also always loved to cook. So when we went into lockdown, he decided to combine the two, and his profile exploded. He...

21 Nov 202122min

Shane Jenek is Australia's favourite drag queen

Shane Jenek is Australia's favourite drag queen

How did Brisbane boy Shane Jenek become Courtney Act, Australia’s most beloved drag queen? In this chat with Jamila Rizvi we get to know the man behind the drag, who has shot to international fame in...

19 Nov 202138min

One of the victims of the Qatar Airport invasive searches

One of the victims of the Qatar Airport invasive searches

Today’s story starts back on October 2, 2020, when Qatari authorities grounded planes at Hamad International Airport in Doha after a baby was found abandoned in a bathroom. The baby had been dumped ...

18 Nov 202122min

Victoria’s controversial pandemic bill explained

Victoria’s controversial pandemic bill explained

Five million people in Melbourne emerged from lockdown in late October after spending a world record 262 days in lockdown. The Victorian Parliament is expected to pass strict new laws this week to de...

17 Nov 202120min

How has Covid impacted the world's oldest profession?

How has Covid impacted the world's oldest profession?

How has Covid impacted the sex industry? Everyone has had to make changes to cope with the pandemic, but what about when your income is derived from intimacy? Samantha X is an escort and owner of S...

16 Nov 202117min

Freed Britney

Freed Britney

A court has finally freed Britney Spears from her conservatorship... where her father controlled almost every aspect of her life for 13 years. This story, which maybe would have been filed under ce...

15 Nov 202119min

Populärt inom Politik & nyheter

aftonbladet-krim
motiv
p3-krim
fordomspodden
rss-viva-fotboll
flashback-forever
spar
svenska-fall
aftonbladet-daily
svd-dokumentara-berattelser-2
rss-sanning-konsekvens
rss-krimstad
rss-vad-fan-hande
rss-krimreportrarna
krimmagasinet
rss-frandfors-horna
olyckan-inifran
dagens-eko
rss-aftonbladet-krim
svd-ledarredaktionen