What Your Rights Are Regarding Police Searches?

One aspect of law in Australia which criminal lawyers are often asked about relates to police searches, and in particular, what an individual’s rights are if the police wish to search them.

Queries relating to when the police can search you, what they can search, and what the rules are, are most common, so we shall try to answer these as best we can.

First, we need to outline the differences between the types of searches the police can conduct, as each has a specific set of regulations. The two distinct search types are personal search, and property search, and whilst they might seem self-explanatory, let us try to eliminate any confusion as to what they each mean.

Personal searches are those which the police conduct with respect to the clothing you are wearing, and as well as requiring you to remove clothing in order to search you, body cavities can also be searched. Property searches are those which are conducted in your home or your vehicle.

Whether the police wish to carry out a personal or a property search, you do have rights, and one of the core ones is the right to remain silent. Other than providing the police with your name and address, you do not need to say anything, and that includes answering questions, which police often ask as searches are being conducted.

Another important principle is that the police cannot simply demand that they search you, your home, or your vehicle except in specific circumstances. These include when they have a warrant to conduct the search, or in scenarios where the law grants them the right to search without a warrant.

For personal searches, these scenarios include when they suspect that you are about to commit an offence, to protect a young person, to look for items associated with a crime, or to ensure the security of public places.

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What is a Parenting Order?

In Australia, parents who split have to make decisions relating to the welfare of their children, and this is often done with the support of family lawyers. This might include creating a parenting plan which is a mutual arrangement that parents agree upon to determine how they can best care for and nurture their children, even though they are no longer married, or living together

You can provide any detail that you’d like in your parenting plan, however, if you are unsure what you should be adding, you should consult a family lawyer. A family lawyer will help you better understand your legal rights and duties and clarify how the law is applicable in your matter.

Typically, the parental plans always have at least a few of the following details:

  • Which parent the child is going to live with
  • A schedule indicating days and times for visitation for the absent parent
  • How and when the parents will communicate with the child
  • How parents divide parenting responsibilities and make choices about the child
  • Financial structures for children
  • Who the child can stay in contact with while the child is with each parent

A parental order may also include guidelines and rules that prevent a parent from taking a particular course of action or behaving in certain ways. This might be a rule stating that ridiculing or insulting the other parent while speaking to the child is not acceptable. Another example might be that a parent must not visit the other parent’s residence without a request or invite.

The Family Law Act offers guidelines on the areas that the parenting order can address. Live with orders which state who the child primarily lives with. Orders can relate to how much time the child can spend with each parent. It can also include others such as the child’s grandparents. Read More