Why Pell Walked: The High Court’s Findings
The full-bench of the High Court of Australia unanimously entered verdicts of acquittal in favour of appellant George Pell on 7 April 2020, in relation to child sexual offences in respect of which a jury unanimously found him guilty in...
“Everyone is Fearful”: An Interview With Mantra Refugee Detainee Ismail Hussein
Over the last three weeks, the Australian government has stepped up its response to the COVID-19 crisis to the point that now there are reports that it might have succeeded in flattening our nation’s curve. However, when it comes to...
Pandemic Police Powers Should Not Be Used to Silence Dissent
Just after 4 pm on 10 April, a cavalcade of around seventy vehicles decorated with trade union signs and protest placards made its way through Sydney’s CBD to drive past NSW parliament, calling for no worker to be left behind...
Will COVID-19 Police Powers Creep Into Permanency, Just Like Terrorism Laws?
The global spread of COVID-19 is hardly the first pandemic the species has faced. Probably the best known is the Black Death that spread through Europe, Asia and northern Africa in the 1300s. The chief measures to combat it were...
Global COVID-19 Developments: Forced Removals, Indefinite Detention
The COVID-19 landscape is shifting. The epicentre is no longer Wuhan, the capital of China’s Hubei province. After 76 days, that city’s complete lockdown ended on Wednesday: the borders reopened, many restrictions were lifted, however officials warned further infections are...
A Death Sentence for Inmates: An Interview With Sisters Inside CEO Debbie Kilroy
The Berejiklian government passed a suite of emergency laws to get the state of NSW through the COVID-19 crisis on 24 March. These included provisions allowing NSW Corrective Services commissioner Peter Severin to release inmates early on parole. However, more...
The Interlinked Crises of COVID and Climate: An Interview with Health Professor Ro McFarlane
A different aspect within many Australian urban centres over the last summer was the site of locals wearing face masks on city streets due to the intense smoke pollution rolling in from the bushfires that were ravaging the eastern seaboard....
The Need for Parliamentary Oversight is Greater Than Ever
The Morrison government shut down federal parliament due to concerns around the spread of COVID-19 on 23 March. And besides a special reduced sitting day set to take place on 8 April, the chambers in Canberra aren’t expected to start...
No Worker Left Behind: An Interview With the May 1 Movement’s Robert Car
The Morrison government on 30 March announced a $130 billion wage subsidy package as part of the response to the COVID-19 pandemic. This means that qualifying businesses will be provided with a fortnightly wage subsidy of $1,500 per employee over...
The COVID-19 Response Is Undermining the Rule of Law
Australia’s liberal democracy rests upon the doctrine of the separation of powers, which upholds the rule of law. It ensures that the three arms of government - the legislative, the executive and the judicial - remain separate entities. The legislature,...
