'CDTCC is a wonderful tool, in an advocates toolkit.' Pete Bartels is a senior lawyer and subject matter expert on the CDTCC. He joins Martin Dalitz, senior Drug Court lawyer as they chat about how to get clients accepted, what the program looks like and why it's changing lives.

The Aboriginal Service Branch (ASB) has put together a new podcast episode called ‘Your Honour, it’s a cultural thing! Black Letter Lore: Representing Mob with Culture in Mind.’ In this podcast, Director, Kim Hamer, Senior Solicitor Taylah Gray, and Senior Project Officer, Kyle Burgess, unpack the best practices for culturally appropriate representation, the role of Aboriginal Field Officers, and the importance of understanding Indigenous kinship, language, and cultural obligations.

Paul and Caitlin discuss the High Court’s decision on judicial immunity, the common-law offence of escape, a new case on 22C of the Bail Act, mental health diversion for Commonwealth offences, and the extent of a Children’s Court sentencing powers in the following cases:

1. Queensland v Mr Stradford (a pseudonym) [2025] HCA 3
2. Elali v R [2025] NSWCCA 9
3. R v JS [2025] NSWSC 116
4. R v Skapik [2025] NSWCCA 19
5. PD v Director of Public Prosecutions (NSW) [2025] NSWSC 16

In this episode Sophie and Paul chat with Raelene Sharpe KC, about her first year at the CDPP, what solicitors can expect if they work at the CDPP, and 5 Commonwealth cases.

• Director of Public Prosecutions (Cth) v Kola [2024] HCA 14 (17 April 2024)
• R v Munro [2024] QCA 136 (30 July 2024)
• Hurt v The King; Hurt v The King; Delzotto v The King [2024] HCA 8 (13 March 2024)
• McGregor v R [2024] NSWCCA 200
• The King v Hatahet [2024] HCA 23 (12 June 2024)

Sophie and Caitlin discuss coercive control, extending AVOs in order to revoke them, the Liberato direction and the assessment of objective seriousness on sentence in the following cases:

1. Pickford & Pickford [2024] FedCFamC1A 249
2. Elahmad v R [2024] NSWCCA 250
3. Commissioner of NSW Police v Murphy [2024] NSWCA 311
4. Evans v R; Evans v R [2024] NSWCCA 245
5. JL v R [2024] NSWCCA 246

In this episode, Paul, Caitlin and Sophie have met on Gadigal land to discuss the following cases:

• DPP v Smith [2024] HCA 32
• BQ v R [2024] HCA 29
• R v Fisher [2024] NSWCCA 191
• Barker v R [2024] NSWCCA 227
• KL [2024] NSWSC 1334

A podcast series by Sophie Anderson, Paul Coady and Caitlin Akthar, with some special guests.

Each episode will summarise 5 cases relevant to criminal lawyers in NSW.

In this episode, Paul, Caitlin and Sophie have met on Gadigal land to discuss the following cases:

• R v TW [2024] NSWSC 1504
• R v BH [2024] NSWSC 1577
• Chiha v R [2024] NSWCCA 222
• R v Jones [2024] NSWCCA 236
• Vamadevan v The King [2024] NSWCCA 223

A podcast series by Sophie Anderson, Paul Coady and Caitlin Akthar, with some special guests.

Each episode will summarise 5 cases relevant to criminal lawyers in NSW.

In this episode, Paul and Caitlin collaborate to discuss the following cases:

• Omigie v R [2024] NSWCCA 205
• Bhatt v R [2024] NSWCCA 214
• Knight v R [2024] NSWCCA 211
• WP v R [2024] NSWCCA 77
• BAP v R [2024] NSWCCA 206

During the discussion on WP v R, Paul refers to three resources to confirm the changes to maximum penalties for sexual offences. Those three resources are:

• ​Legislative Changes to Sexual Offences | The Public Defenders Home
• Lawcodes
• The Point in Time versions of legislation on the Home - NSW legislation website

If you wish to reach out with comments or suggestions for future episodes, the hosts can be contacted on: 5casespodcast@gmail.com