Criminal Law covers the punishment of any act that harms or endangers the safety of people, or causes physical or property harm.

The criminal law system in Australia is a complex beast, and it can be overwhelming to navigate it by yourself. We’ve put together a list of resources that can help you better understand a criminal case or conviction.

1. Legal Aid

Legal Aid is a government-funded initiative to help financially disadvantaged people with a range of criminal matters. Whether or not you can afford legal assistance, this initiative makes some brilliant legal resources accessible to everyone. You can access their Queensland website, New South Wales website or Victoria website, or search for your relevant resources online.

2. AustLII

AustLII stands for The Australasian Legal Information Institute. They publish a trove of public legal information online, like the decisions of courts and tribunals in particular cases. It’s a vast database that can act as a great starting point for researching cases similar to yours.

3. Criminal Code Act

To actually see the most up-to-date criminal code act with all of its latest amendments, this resource provides access to them all. While the criminal code act is complex and extremely large, it may help you further understand the legal aspects of your case.

4. Law Council Australia

To keep tabs on updates to legislation and policy agenda across the country – The Law Council Australia website acts as a brilliant guide.

5. Queensland Government Law

For easy-to-read descriptions of everything pertaining to criminal law in Queensland – the QLD Government website is by far the  easiest to navigate. Find out about all aspects of criminal law, from your workplace rights to resolving disputes with neighbours to average sentences for particular crimes.

6. FindLaw

FindLaw is a great Australia-wide legal directory that can match you with a lawyer, and provide relevant legal information about just about any issue under the sun. Visit their website to find out more.

7. Queensland Law Society

While The Queensland Law Society is best known for its resources for practicing lawyers, it also releases all sorts of resources and documents for the benefit of the Queensland community. The majority are available on their website.

8. Lawstuff

Lawstuff is dedicated to providing children and young people from all over Australia with legal information. Visit their website to find all sorts of information relevant to your state.

9. Criminal Law Survival Kit

While this criminal law guide relates to New South Wales legislation, there are many parallels to the criminal law fields in other Australian states. It’s a simple, to-the-point collection of helpful materials.

Working With Guest Lawyers

The Brisbane criminal lawyers at Guest will act for any person charged with a criminal offence. In addition to representing people all over Queensland, we often travel to other states and territories. Our lawyers are admitted to practice all over Australia.

We offer initial legal consultations (including in prisons) to assist with a number of criminal matters. Please get in touch with us either via email or by calling (07) 3211 3007. Our team of  Brisbane criminal lawyers will be more than happy to help.