If you plead guilty to a drink driving charge in Queensland are you pleading guilty to a criminal offence and will a criminal conviction be recorded? In other words Is drink driving a criminal offence in Queensland? What are criminal offences in Queensland? In Queensland we have 4 levels of offences, Crimes Misdemeanours Simple Offences Regulatory offences Crimes are the most serious, misdemeanours are less serious and the least serious is simple offences and regulatory offences. Technically criminal offences comprise crimes, misdemeanours and simple offences but not regulatory offences. Section 3 of the Criminal Code sets out the distinctions between…

Drug driving is a serious offence that can have significant consequences for both the driver and other road users. In Queensland, drug driving is a criminal offence that carries severe penalties, including fines, licence disqualification, and possible imprisonment if someone has been injured in an accident. This article will provide an overview of first-time drug driving offences in Queensland, including what to expect if charged and possible defences against the charges. Introduction Drug driving refers to driving a vehicle while under the influence of drugs, including illegal drugs and prescription medication. Drugs can affect a driver's ability to operate a…

We often have clients charged with drug driving ask if you are charged with drug driving can you get a work licence? What is a work licence? A work licence is a special type of authority issued by the court that allows you to keep driving for work purposes even though your licence becomes disqualified by the court for drug driving. What are the drug driving laws in Queensland? In Queensland we have 2 types of driving charges relating to the presence of drugs in your system, these are; Driving with a relevant drug present Driving under the influence of…

Cannabis was made legal for medical purposes in Queensland in 2016. It is, however, illegal for a person to drive while a detectable amount of THC (the active compound in cannabis) is in his saliva or blood. This remains so, even if you have a legal prescription for cannabis containing THC. How can a legal cannabis user know when to drive? The burden is on the user of the legal cannabis to assess just how much THC is in his or her system when deciding to drive. Difficulties are further compounded by the lack of clarity around how long detectable…

What Does a Traffic Lawyer Do and How Can They Help Me? If you have ever been charged with a traffic offence, you may have wondered whether hiring a traffic lawyer is worth the expense. The truth is, traffic charges can have serious consequences, including fines, points on your driving record, and even the disqualification of your drivers licence. In this article, we will explore what traffic lawyers do and how they can help you. Table of Contents Introduction Understanding Traffic Offences What Does a Traffic Lawyer Do? Benefits of Hiring a Traffic Lawyer When to Hire a Traffic Lawyer…

Drug driving in Queensland is becoming one of the more common traffic offences that can bring people to court. People charged are obviously interested to know if there is a way to get out of the charge i.e. are there loopholes to drug driving charges in Queensland? Can I beat a drug driving charge? How to get off a drug driving charge? Is there a defence to a drug driving charge? In this article we will use the term “loophole” but it’s important to note they aren’t real loopholes, they are for the most part legal requirements that must be…

  In Queensland, the Department of Transport and Main Roads (TMR) recognizes that some passenger transport workers may face unexpected and exceptional circumstances that may prevent them from holding a valid driver's licence. To address this issue, TMR offers a special hardship licence to eligible passenger transport workers who need to continue driving for work purposes despite their licence suspension. A special hardship licence allows transport workers to drive for usually work purposes only with some exceptions for extreme personal needs, it is a temporary measure to support workers in maintaining their livelihood while they serve their licence suspension. In…