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Thank you Armstrong Legal, the lawyers that have helped over the past 3 years but more importantly, thank you to Thomas Allen for the major part you and Mr Buckland played. Cannot thank you enough. Cheers.
- Client
Hi all. I would like to thank Ms Lisa Riley for all her help with my legal issues this past month. It was the most harrowing experience of my life and thanks to her expertise, professionalism and knowledge of the law, I came out almost unscathed. I have no hesitation in recommending Lisa Riley and Armstrong Legal if you need help. The service is amazing and the cost was very minimal for the great outcome. Thank you Lisa for helping me in the most difficult time.
- Client
I just want to thank you from the bottom of my heart. My whole life I was thrown away, you made me feel like I did mean something. I could not have asked for a better lawyer. Your compassion and love for your job is inspiring. Your upfront and honesty were muchly appreciated, you are a beautiful person. Thank you for not giving up on me and thank you for all the work you put in. I wish you all the best for the future and I will be recommending you to everyone I know. You're amazing!!!!
- Client
I just wanted to thank you for representing me on Monday, I was overjoyed & relieved with the outcome. I don’t think it could have gone any better. All the best, I hope you got to celebrate this one instead after work, you forever made a difference in my life.
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I know I thanked you before we parted company but please allow me to reiterate in writing my sincere deepest thanks for defending me in court today. … Armstrong Legal certainly has a great Lawyer you are a credit to the company and I'm quite sure you will secure a very successful future! … My Kindest Regards and Thanks
- Client
Throughout Angela has been the consummate professional. She maintained a calm, yet strong demeanour remained informative and completely open in her communication and took complete ownership of the situation. We felt confident we finally had an advocate to steer us out of the nightmare we were in, and she did so with great respect and sincerity. I cannot speak more highly of Angela. She has literally rescued our family from what looked very much like a hopeless future.
- Client
Words can’t describe how grateful I am to Trudie Cameron being my solicitor and to Andrew Tiedt presenting my case in the court. They both have been very supportive and amazingly professional and effective. I’ve got an absolutely fantastic outcome I couldn’t even dream about.
- Client
Soon after meeting Andrew I knew he was the solicitor I wanted to handle my matter. He immediately sprang into action which brought me stability and hope during a tumultuous time in my life. Andrew was never afraid to give me straight answers to my tough questions which is a true mark of integrity. He is clearly at ease in the court environment and I believe his calm and measured demeanour went a long way to helping me secure the best result from my day in court. I would certainly recommend you approach Andrew if you need assistance.
- Client
"Andrew Tiedt was very professional and considerate to personal circumstances and gave sound advice that resulted in the best outcome possible. Highly recommended."
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This article was written by Michelle Makela - Legal Practice Director
Michelle has over 15 years experience in the legal industry, working across commercial litigation, criminal law, family law and estate planning. Michelle has been involved in all practice areas of the firm and in her personal practice has had experience in litigation at all levels (state and federal industrial tribunals, the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal, the Federal Court, Federal...
The Power to Arrest
Police have the power to arrest people in certain circumstances. When exercising the powers of arrest an officer must comply with basic safeguards. These include that the person conducting the arrest must tell the person that they are under arrest and why they are being arrested.
There is a variety of provisions in the Crimes Act 1900 (NSW) that make it an offence to resist being arrested. Even if the police do not end up charging a person with any other offences, they may be charged with resisting arrest if they offer active resistance at the time of their arrest.
When can a Police Officer Arrest Me?
The NSW Supreme Court has held that police should exercise their arrest powers as a last resort, where issuing a summons or court attendance notice is impractical.
However, a police officer can arrest a person when:
- a court has issued a warrant for their arrest (the warrant need not be in the officer’s possession)
- they have committed or are about to commit an offence
- the officer suspects on reasonable grounds that they have committed an offence
- they have breached a bail undertaking or agreement, or the officer believes on reasonable grounds that they are about to do so
- the officer suspects on reasonable grounds that they are unlawfully at large (other than because of escaping from lawful custody), meaning that they are at large at a time when they are required by law to be in custody in a correctional centre
In addition, an arresting police officer must suspect on reasonable grounds that arrest is necessary to:
- ensure their appearance before a court in respect of the offence
- prevent a repetition or continuation of the offence or the commission of another offence
- prevent the concealment, loss or destruction of evidence relating to the offence
- prevent harassment of or interference with a person who may be required to give evidence
- prevent the fabrication of evidence in respect of the offence
- preserve the person’s safety or welfare
When can a Citizen Conduct an Arrest?
A person who is not a police officer may, without a warrant, arrest a person if they:
- are in the act of committing an offence
- have just committed an offence
- have committed a serious indictable offence for which you have not been tried
A commander of an aircraft may, onboard the aircraft, arrest a person whom they reasonably suspect of having committed or having attempted to commit an offence on or in relation to, or affecting the use of, an aircraft. To prevent such an offence or to avoid danger to the safety of the aircraft or passengers, the commander may place the person under restraint or in custody, or remove them from the aircraft if it is not in the air.
What Happens if You are Arrested and the Police do not Follow the Rules?
There are a number of rules outlined in the Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 2002 (NSW) that govern arrests. Unlawful or improper conduct by a person carrying out an arrest can have significant consequences for the outcome of a person’s criminal case, particularly in relation to the following:
The use of force
A police officer or other person who exercises a power to arrest another person may use such force as is reasonably necessary to make the arrest or to prevent the escape of the person after arrest. The use of unreasonable force constitutes an assault. The judge or magistrate will determine whether the force used was reasonable in the circumstances.
The decision to arrest rather than exercise an alternate power
The courts have looked unfavourably on arrests that have been conducted in situations where an alternative power would have achieved the desired result. The NSW Supreme Court has held that a court attendance notice (CAN) or a summons is generally the appropriate way to deal with cases of alleged minor offences.
For example, in DPP v Carr [2002], the court held that evidence of resisting, assaulting and intimidating police was improperly obtained because the accused was arrested for using offensive language in circumstances where a summons should have been used. Consequently, the magistrate was entitled to exclude such evidence and dismiss the charges.
Special Arrest Provisions for Minors
The Young Offenders Act 1997 (NSW) provides that persons less than 18 years of age are entitled to be dealt with by way of a warning or, if a warning is not appropriate in the opinion of the investigating official, a caution rather than arrest.
This applies where the child has allegedly committed a summary offence (that is, one that is finalised in the Local Court) or an indictable offence that may be finalised in the Local Court.
These special provisions do not apply if the offence:
- is a traffic offence committed by a minor who was old enough to obtain a learner licence to drive the vehicle to which the offence relates.
- results in a death.
- is in the nature of a sexual assault
- is a domestic violence offence under the Crimes (Domestic and Personal Violence) Act 2007 (NSW)
- is a serious drug offence
- involves violence
- would be more appropriately dealt with by another means because it is not in the interests of justice to deal with the offence by warning or caution in the opinion of the investigating official
Note that a child is not entitled to a caution if the child has been dealt with by way of caution on three or more occasions.
If you require legal advice or representation in any legal matter, please contact Armstrong Legal.
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In New South Wales, a young person aged 10 or older can be arrested and charged with a criminal offence.…
WHERE TO NEXT?
If you suspect that you may be under investigation, or if you have been charged with an offence, it is vital to get competent legal advice as early as possible. Our lawyers are highly specialised in criminal law and will be able to guide you through the process while dealing with the various authorities related to your matter.
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