Mate Lawyers

16/10/2026

Following a successful challenge to a NSW seatbelt fine, I was invited to share my experience with Emily McPherson from 9News for an article examining concerns about seatbelt detection cameras and disputed fines.

While seatbelt detection cameras play an important role in road safety, questions have been raised about the quality and reliability of the photographic evidence used to issue fines.

In my experience representing clients in these matters, camera images are not always conclusive. In several cases, we have successfully challenged fines where the evidence was insufficient to establish an offence.

The article also highlights the difficult position faced by motorists who believe they have been wrongly fined but are reluctant to challenge the matter in court due to the potential costs, time and stress involved.

Read the full 9News article below

We’re here to help.

Mate Lawyers
📞 Call us 24/7 on 02 8528 2541
🌐www.matelawyers.au
📍 Level 3 255 Castlereagh Street SYDNEY

One NSW woman has gone to extreme lengths after copping two seatbelt fines.

14/10/2026

Smacking your child is normal, right?

While some parents might think smacking their child is normal punishment, the law may think differently.

In NSW, parents are allowed to use “lawful correction” to physically discipline their child in certain circumstances.

Whether the force used is "reasonable" depends on many factors, such as the child’s age, health, maturity and nature of their misbehavior, as well as the kind of force used.

The force used cannot cause harm that lasts more than a "short time". So, if a child is bruised from a smack, the parent is likely to be charged with the offence of assault.

Importantly, the law does not allow parents to hit their child in the head or the neck.

While children can often push their parent's buttons, it is important for parents to remember the legal line between discipline and assault.

The consequences of a parent being charged with using physical force upon their child often extend beyond the criminal proceedings themselves.
❗The charge may impact parenting agreements or result in supervised visitation of their children.
❗It may also impact upon a Working with Children Check.

What this means is parents do not have an unrestricted right to use physical force on their children, no matter what they have done wrong.

If you are facing allegations involving physical discipline, obtaining legal advice early is important.

We’re here to help.

Mate Lawyers
📞 Call us 24/7 on 02 8528 2541
🌐www.matelawyers.au
📍 Level 3 255 Castlereagh Street SYDNEY

12/10/2026

You’ve pleaded guilty to a criminal offence. But after leaving court, you begin to question whether you made the right decision.

Perhaps you misunderstood the charge, felt pressured to plead guilty or later realised you had a defence available.

In NSW, it may be possible to withdraw a guilty plea and enter a plea of not guilty through a process known as plea traversal.

However, simply regretting your decision or changing your mind is not enough.

The Court will consider the circumstances surrounding your original plea, including whether:
👉 You understood the nature of the charge and its consequences;
👉 Your plea was entered freely and voluntarily;
👉 You received appropriate legal advice; and
👉 You were aware of the relevant facts when entering your plea.

Timing is particularly important.

Before conviction, the Court considers whether allowing the withdrawal is in the interests of justice. Once convicted, the legal threshold becomes more difficult, requiring a miscarriage of justice to be established.

A successful application may allow you to withdraw your guilty plea and have the matter proceed to a defended hearing, where the prosecution must prove the charge beyond reasonable doubt.

However, the Court will carefully scrutinise the reasons for seeking to change your plea. An application is not automatically granted simply because you now disagree with your earlier decision or are concerned about the potential sentence.

A guilty plea is a significant decision, but it may not always be final.

If you have concerns about a plea you’ve entered, seeking legal advice early can help you understand your options and whether an application may be appropriate.

We’re here to help.

Mate Lawyers
📞 Call us 24/7 on 02 8528 2541
🌐www.matelawyers.au
📍 Level 3 255 Castlereagh Street SYDNEY

09/10/2026

Being friends, relatives or associates with people involved in criminal activity does not, by itself, make someone part of a “criminal group”.

For a group to meet the legal definition in NSW, the prosecution must establish that it consists of at least three people who share a relevant objective.

That objective must involve either:

👉 obtaining a material benefit from conduct constituting a serious indictable offence; or

👉 committing a serious violence offence.

Importantly, the group does not need a formal structure, fixed membership or hierarchy. Different members may also play different roles.

However, there must still be evidence of the required shared objective. In cases involving financial or other material benefit, the prosecution must identify the particular serious indictable offence from which that benefit is intended to arise.

Whether the evidence establishes a criminal group will depend closely on the alleged activities, relationships and objectives of the people involved.

Association alone is not enough.

If you are facing an allegation involving participation in a criminal group, obtaining legal advice early can help clarify what the prosecution must positively prove.

We’re here to help.
Mate Lawyers
📞 Call us 24/7 on 02 8528 2541
🌐www.matelawyers.au
📍 Level 3 255 Castlereagh Street SYDNEY

07/10/2026

Being questioned by police can make it feel as though you have to explain yourself. In many situations, you don’t.

In NSW, you have a right to silence when police are questioning or investigating you.

The only things you must provide are your name, address, and date of birth.

In traffic matters, you must also identify who the vehicle owner and driver was at the time of the incident.

Providing further information, such as where you were, what you were doing, or why you were there is not required, even if the police continue asking questions, or you feel uncomfortable.

It can be tempting to think that answering police questions will clear things up.

What you say, however, may later become evidence against you in Court. Or, making an inaccurate or incomplete statement in the heat of the moment may create inconsistencies that hinder your case in Court.

Before speaking with police about an alleged offence, it is critical to act early and speak to a lawyer.

We’re here to help.

Mate Lawyers
📞 Call us 24/7 on 02 8528 2541
🌐www.matelawyers.au
📍 Level 3 255 Castlereagh Street SYDNEY

05/10/2026

A drink at the beach or in a park might seem harmless, but in NSW, whether you can legally drink in public can depend on exactly where you are.

Local councils can restrict drinking in designated public spaces through Alcohol-Free Zones and Alcohol-Prohibited Areas.

👉 Alcohol-Free Zones generally cover public roads, footpaths, and car parks.
👉Alcohol-Prohibited Areas apply to other public spaces, such as parks and civic areas.

Restrictions may apply at all times or only during specified hours, so checking the signs around you is important.

If you’re drinking in a restricted area, police can confiscate and dispose of your alcohol.

While you won’t receive a fine simply for drinking in the designated area, refusing to cooperate with police exercising these powers can have further consequences.

If drinking in public leads to police charges, getting legal advice early can help you understand your position.

We’re here to help.
Mate Lawyers
📞 Call us 24/7 on 02 8528 2541
🌐www.matelawyers.au
📍 Level 3 255 Castlereagh Street SYDNEY

02/10/2026

This long weekend whether you’re off to the races, the NRL final or your mates for the first BBQ of the season, take your time and get there safely.

Double demerits don’t just catch bad drivers.
They catch confident ones who think they know the rules.

Here’s what people often get wrong:
❌ “It’s just speeding.”
✔ Phones, seatbelts, red lights and more can all attract double points.
❌ “I’ll be fine, I’ve got a few points left.”
✔ Double points can tip you over faster than you think.
❌ “If I didn’t mean it, I’ll get a warning.”
✔ Intent doesn’t matter. Especially for camera offences.
❌ “It’s only a short trip.”
✔ Most offences happen close to home. That’s not a defence.
For a lot of people, this is where it lands:

❗Licence gone.
❗Work impacted.
❗Family logistics blown up overnight.

We see it every long weekend.
Not reckless drivers.
Ordinary people having an ordinary moment that costs them more than expected.

We're here to help.

Mate Lawyers
📞 Call us 24/7 on 02 8528 2541
🌐www.matelawyers.au
📍 Level 3 255 Castlereagh Street SYDNEY

30/09/2026

An Extended Supervision Order (ESO) allows for supervision of offenders after parole has finished. Under the Crimes (High Risk Offenders) Act 2006 (NSW), the Supreme Court can impose conditions it considers appropriate.

Depending on the circumstances, these may require a person to:

👉 report regularly to Corrective Services
👉 live at an approved address or avoid particular places
👉 participate in treatment or rehabilitation programs
👉 wear electronic monitoring equipment
👉 avoid contact with specified people
👉 comply with restrictions on internet access and use.

An ESO may also prevent the person from leaving NSW without the approval of the Commissioner of Corrective Services.

The conditions imposed are not automatic or mandatory. They should reflect the circumstances of the individual case and the risks the order is intended to manage.

Having an ESO upon you is not a criminal offence, but breaching it is. The penalties include significant fines and or imprisonment.

If an Extended Supervision Order is being sought or its conditions are in dispute, obtaining legal advice early is important.

We’re here to help.

Mate Lawyers
📞 Call us 24/7 on 02 8528 2541
🌐www.matelawyers.au
📍 Level 3 255 Castlereagh Street SYDNEY

28/09/2026

A few drinks on a night out can quickly lead to police attention if your behaviour starts affecting the people around you.

In NSW, simply being intoxicated in public is not, by itself, a criminal offence.

However, your behaviour while intoxicated can lead to police intervention.

Police can give you a move-on direction if they reasonably believe your behaviour is disorderly or likely to cause injury, property damage or a risk to public safety.

Being intoxicated isn’t necessarily the offence. Your behaviour, and how you respond to police intervention, can be.

If a night out results in charges, getting legal advice early can help you understand your position.

We’re here to help.
Mate Lawyers
📞 Call us 24/7 on 02 8528 2541
🌐www.matelawyers.au
📍 Level 3 255 Castlereagh Street SYDNEY

25/09/2026

Most people know they generally have a right to silence when speaking with police.

But there are circumstances involving a vehicle where you may be legally required to provide information. This is called a form of demand.

Under section 177 of the Road Transport Act 2013 (NSW), police can require the person responsible for, or in custody of, a vehicle to provide information identifying the driver where that driver is alleged to have committed a road transport offence.

If required, that information may need to be provided in a signed written statement.

This can arise even if you were not driving the vehicle yourself. Police may require:
👉the driver’s name and home address; or
👉other information you have that may assist in identifying the driver.

This matters because simply refusing to provide the information is not necessarily protected by the usual right to silence.

Equally, you should not guess or provide information you are unsure about simply because a demand has been made.

A form of demand is different from an ordinary request to participate in a police interview.

If you have received one and are unsure of your obligations, obtain legal advice before responding.

We’re here to help.
Mate Lawyers
📞 Call us 24/7 on 02 8528 2541
🌐www.matelawyers.au
📍 Level 3 255 Castlereagh Street SYDNEY