Tasmanian parliament passes new sentencing laws, leading to stronger punishments for hate crimes – 16 December 2025
Tasmania’s parliament has unanimously approved amendments to the state’s Sentencing Act that strengthen how courts punish offences motivated by hate or prejudice. The changes are intended to impose tougher penalties when crimes are driven by hatred or target people because of who they are.
https://www.abc.net.au/news/2025-12-16/tasmania-passes-new-hate-crime-laws/105767410
NSW police unlawfully arrested and choked man then tried to delete footage, watchdog finds – 18 December 2025
An investigation by the Law Enforcement Conduct Commission (LECC) concluded that two NSW police officers engaged in serious misconduct in an incident from 2021. One officer unlawfully arrested and choked a man who had gone to a police station to report a car accident, and then tried to delete evidence of his actions.
Former banker charged over $105m fake loan syndicate – 18 December 2025
A 34 year old former banker/mortgage broker has been charged with 89 fraud related offences in connection with a massive fake loan syndicate that allegedly defrauded banks of about $105 million. Police allege the group used stolen personal information to apply for fraudulent loans through multiple financial institutions. Some loans were supposedly used to buy luxury vehicles that didn’t exist (“ghost cars”), and others were for personal, business, and home loans. The accused is described as part of the third alleged ringleader in the syndicate and is accused of directing criminal activity and recruiting corrupt insiders from within banks and mortgage broking networks.
Public officers facing corruption charges over alleged secret payments for medical devices in public hospitals – 18 December 2025P
Five people are facing criminal charges after an extensive corruption investigation, dubbed Investigation Barzona, conducted by the Queensland Crime and Corruption Commission (CCC) in cooperation with the Queensland Office of the Health Ombudsman (OHO). It is alleged that representatives of a medical device company made secret payments to public officers in return for those officials favouring the company’s devices for use in Queensland public hospitals. The officers are also accused of failing to declare conflicts of interest to Queensland Health.
Former Dobell MP Craig Thomson jailed over multi-million-dollar migration fraud – 18 December 2025
Former Labor MP for Dobell Craig Thomson was jailed for four years after pleading guilty to fraud offences related to a multi-million-dollar visa/migration fraud scheme and COVID-era payment fraud. Thomson charged people up to $50,000 to help with visa applications despite not being a registered migration agent, acting as a middleman when applicants could have used legitimate agents.
Ghislaine Maxwell asks court to vacate her 20-year prison sentence – 18 December 2025
Ghislaine Maxwell, the convicted associate of sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, has asked a federal court to vacate or amend her 20-year sentence for sex trafficking. Maxwell, a former British socialite, claims that “substantial new evidence” has emerged from civil cases, investigative reports and other documents demonstrating that she did not receive a fair trial, according to a court filing in New York. The appeal follows several failed attempts from Maxwell, who was convicted in 2021, to try to reduce her prison sentence.
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c9qedpnw0w0o
Jack smith tells congress that he could prove Trump engaged in a “criminal scheme” to overturn 2020 election – 19 December 2025
Former Justice Department special counsel Jack Smith told Republican lawmakers that his investigative team had developed “proof beyond a reasonable doubt” that former President Donald Trump engaged in a criminal scheme to overturn the 2020 election results. Smith made these statements during a closed-door deposition after being subpoenaed by the committee.
Macquarie hit with $35m fine over short sale misreporting – 19 December 2025
Macquarie will pay a $35 million fine after admitting to the corporate regulator that it misreported up to 73 million short sales over a 15-year period. The Australian Securities and Investments Commission said the inaccurate reporting was due to “multiple systems-related failures, many of which remained undetected for more than a decade”.
Police believe seven men arrested in Sydney raid had ‘extremist Islamic ideology – 19 December 2025
Heavily armed NSW Police carried out a dramatic operation in Liverpool, Sydney’s south-west, arresting seven men after receiving intelligence that a violent act might be being planned. Tactical officers intercepted two vehicles in the area of George and Campbell Streets, near the Westfield shopping centre.
Lamar Ahchee, 42, jailed for 12 years in Bali after smuggling $1.1m of cocaine – 19 December 2025
Lamar Ahchee, a 42 year old Australian man from Queensland, has been sentenced to 12 years in prison by a court in Bali after being found guilty of trafficking cocaine. He was also fined 2 billion rupi. Police found 1.7 kilograms of cocaine — valued at roughly $1.1 million — concealed inside 206 Lindt chocolate wrappers at his apartment in North Kuta. The drugs were discovered after authorities tracked two suspicious packages sent through the mail.
