Hear No Evil, See No Evil, Speak No Evil ... and, Read No Evil: Confiscation of Literary Proceeds under Australian Criminal Property Confiscation Legislation

Criminal property confiscation legislation is widely regarded as an important weapon in Australia's arsenal against serious and organised crime. The statutory regimes provide for a wide range of confiscations, including the confiscation of literary proceeds – the benefits received from the commercial exploitation of one's notoriety from having committed a crime. This article commences with an examination of the operation of literary proceeds confiscation in Australia by reference to the Commonwealth legislation. It goes on to consider, and suggest an explanation for, the seemingly selective application of the legislation in a series of high profile cases.