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Raison & Co Lawyers We provide trusted and comprehensive criminal defence services across South Australia.

29/09/2026

Those smart glasses can record a conversation. That doesn’t mean it’s legal.

Phones, watches and now glasses can record someone without them ever noticing.

But in South Australia, recording a private conversation without the knowledge of the people involved is generally an offence, whatever device you use.

Filming in public, where there’s no reasonable expectation of privacy, is treated differently. That’s why people filming content in public spaces are usually on safe ground.

There is a limited exception for recordings that are reasonably necessary to protect your lawful interests. It’s narrow, and it doesn’t cover recording someone just to get the upper hand in a dispute.

If you’ve been recorded, or you’re thinking about recording someone, get advice before you use it.

28/09/2026

Still showing police your licence on your phone? Here’s what their software can do.

Earlier this year we explained why you should carry your physical licence. Some people thought that was overcautious.

What many don’t realise is that police forces across Australia, including in South Australia, use forensic extraction software on seized phones. It can copy messages, photos, location history and app data.

It isn’t an officer scrolling through your camera roll. It’s a copy of your phone.

There’s also public reporting interstate about proposals to expand when that kind of extraction can happen.

Carrying your physical licence means your phone never has to leave your hand during a routine stop.

And where police have already seized your phone, don’t assume you need to provide your passcode without first getting advice on whether you’re actually required to.

27/09/2026

Border Force took your phone at the airport? They never had to suspect you of anything.

When you enter or leave Australia, Border Force officers can examine your phone and other electronic devices. No reason has to be given to you.

What many people don’t realise is that it doesn’t end at the counter. A device can be kept, its contents copied, and examined after you’ve left the airport.

If something turns up that appears to relate to another offence, it can be referred to police. That’s how a routine bag check can become a criminal investigation.

You’re not required to provide your password on the spot unless you’re lawfully compelled to. But declining has consequences of its own, including your device being retained.

If your device has been taken at the border, or you’ve been asked for access to it, get advice before you hand over anything more.

13/09/2026

Do not want to give evidence? Police can arrest you to get you into that courtroom.

A common misunderstanding is that attending court as a witness is optional once a statement has been given.

It is not.

People often think they gave their statement, they have done their bit, and they can decide later whether they turn up.

A person can be compelled to attend as a witness by way of a summons. And where the prosecution needs that person present to give evidence, a witness can be arrested to secure their attendance.

Being a witness rather than an accused person does not remove the obligation, and failing to attend can create problems of its own.

If you have been summonsed and you are unsure about your obligations, or uncomfortable about giving evidence, get advice before the court date.

11/09/2026

Walking into court without a lawyer is usually the most expensive decision you will ever make.

You have a court date. And you have told yourself it will be okay. You will go along, explain your side, and it will sort itself out.

Here is what we notice.

Almost everybody who says lawyers are too expensive has never spoken to one, and has never asked what it would cost.

It is an assumption, not a quote.

What we do know is that not asking the question is very often far more expensive than asking it.

Decisions made early in a matter, what you say, how you plead, what you agree to, are very difficult to revisit later. The system offers limited scope to undo something once it is done, even where the outcome turns out to be far more serious than expected.

Before you decide it will be okay, ask the question. It costs nothing to ask.

“I can’t afford a lawyer.” How do you know? You have not asked.Cost is the number one reason people walk into court alon...
11/09/2026

“I can’t afford a lawyer.” How do you know? You have not asked.

Cost is the number one reason people walk into court alone.

And almost every time, the figure they are working from is an assumption rather than a quote.

Raison & Co works on fixed fees. You know what you are paying before you commit to anything.

No hourly rate ticking over in the background. No open-ended bills. No surprise invoice at the end of it.

For most people it is the uncertainty around cost that is the real barrier, not the cost itself. Removing that uncertainty makes it possible to make a clear decision about a matter rather than avoiding it.

It costs nothing to ask the question. Get in touch with our team.

Does a criminal conviction ever come off your record?It is one of the most common questions we are asked, and the answer...
03/09/2026

Does a criminal conviction ever come off your record?

It is one of the most common questions we are asked, and the answer is not a clean yes or no.

Some convictions can become spent once a qualification period passes without further offending.

But that does not apply to every conviction, and it is not always automatic.

More serious matters, and sentences above certain thresholds, are treated differently. Some can only be spent by order of a court. Some are never spent at all.

A spent conviction also does not vanish entirely. There are circumstances, particular roles, licences and clearances, where it can still be disclosed.

If a conviction is affecting your employment or an application you need to make, get advice on your specific position rather than assuming.

02/09/2026

Twenty years ago does not make you safe. For serious offences, there is no time limit.

People assume there is an expiry date on criminal charges.
For serious offences, there is not one.

Where the prosecution forms the view that a matter is capable of being prosecuted, charges can be laid decades after the alleged conduct.

Twenty years. Thirty years.

We see this most often when something surfaces in a completely unrelated context.

A family law matter is the common one. An affidavit is filed setting out allegations, that material finds its way to police, and suddenly there is a criminal investigation into conduct from decades ago.

The passage of time does not make an allegation go away. What it does do is make the evidence harder to test, for everyone involved.

If you have been contacted about something historical, or allegations have been raised about you in another forum, that is the point to get advice. Not later.

01/09/2026

Border Force can take your phone at the airport, and you may not get it back.

When you enter or leave the country, Australian Border Force officers have the power to examine the goods you are carrying.

That includes your mobile phone and your other electronic devices.

The power sits under the Customs Act, and it is lawful. What people do not realise is that a search of your bag can extend to a search of your phone, and that officers may ask you for your password.

You are not legally required to provide it on the spot unless you are compelled by law to do so.

But understand what can follow. A device can still be seized and examined later where officers believe it holds evidence relating to prohibited goods or a criminal offence.

It is a situation people rarely think about until they are standing at the counter with a queue behind them.

If a device has been seized at the border, get advice before providing access or answering further questions.

26/08/2026

You left the car at the pub and rode the bike home. You can still be charged.

People assume that if they leave the car behind, they have done the responsible thing and there is no risk.

Legally, that is not right.

The word that catches people out is “vehicle.” It is not just a car.

It includes a bicycle. A personal mobility device, so your e-scooter. A trailer. A tram. An animal-drawn vehicle, and an animal that is being ridden, so your horse counts. And a motorised wheelchair capable of travelling over 10km/h on level ground.

It does not have to happen on a road, either. Drink driving and driving while disqualified can apply in a road-related area. A car park, for example.

The bike home and the scooter home are not the workaround people think they are.

If you have been charged, get advice about where you actually stand.

Address

150 South Road
Torrensville
5031

Telephone

0476996287

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