How Power Works

From 1 July 2026, Australia’s AML/CTF regime expands, and the changes may affect the relationship between ordinary Australians and the professionals they trust. Lawyers, accountants, real estate agents, conveyancers and other professionals may now have reporting obligations if they form a suspicion about certain matters. And because of the tipping-off rules, they may not be able to tell you if a r...

What happens when you ask an Australian lawyer the legal questions people are usually too embarrassed, confused or curious to ask? In this episode, James Glissan answers a mix of strange, practical and unexpectedly revealing legal questions, from everyday legal myths to the rules people often misunderstand until it is too late. This is a plain-English legal breakdown for Australians who want to un...

After the Coogee shark attack, one question kept coming up: why weren’t shark-spotting drones already flying over the beach? The answer is not really about sharks. It is about aviation law, risk management, Sydney Airport, flight paths, government decision-making, and the way public safety systems often work only after something goes wrong and one of us usually pays the price... In this video, Jam...

Most Australians think they have rights. They do not. Not in the way they think. James Glissan, a former police prosecutor turned criminal defence lawyer, explains why Australia has no national Bill of Rights, what parliamentary supremacy means, and why the protections Australians assume they have are often more fragile than they realise.

Australia is moving toward making extraordinary ASIO questioning powers permanent. In this episode, James explains what those powers are, how they work, and why civil liberties advocates are concerned about where they may eventually lead. The discussion covers compelled questioning, the absence of traditional warrant processes, the expansion from counter-terrorism to broader community tension conc...

Why does it feel like repeat youth offenders face no consequences? What is doli incapax? Why do children get bail after serious allegations? And what is juvenile detention actually like inside? James Glissan is an Australian former police officer, former police prosecutor, and now criminal defence lawyer who has worked across every side of the Children’s Court system. This episode explains the leg...

A Federal Court ruling found Coles misled consumers through parts of its Down Down pricing campaign. James breaks down what the Court actually decided, why the “was” price mattered, and why the same reasoning could affect Woolworths and other major Australian retailers. Key topics: Coles, ACCC, Down Down, Australian Consumer Law, supermarket pricing, Woolworths, consumer rights.

Family trusts, pre-1985 property and retrospective tax laws are all in play after Australia’s 2026 Federal Budget. James Glissan breaks down the legal mechanics behind the proposed changes, why they matter beyond tax, and what they reveal about the rule of law in Australia. This is legal analysis, not partisan political commentary.