“Legalise and License the Supply of Drugs”: An Interview With Chris Daw QC
Criminal defence barrister Chris Daw QC is an outspoken advocate of drug legalisation. The 1912 International Opium Convention was the first transnational drug control treaty. Born out of concerns over opium use in China, the document was signed in the...
Federal Government’s Rights-Erasing Law Bonanza
The 46th Parliament of Australia opened on 2 July to finance minister Mathias Cormann waving about the Tax Relief So Working Australians Keep More of Their Money Bill. One might be forgiven for translating the legislation’s title to “progressively robbing...
The Offence of Armed Robbery in NSW
Between 1982 and 1987, Ian Robert Steele carried out 30 armed robberies in NSW. Known as “The Rabbit”, the career criminal was notorious for hiding his identity via the wearing of a disguise or the dying of his hair, as...
Sydney Criminal Lawyer Charged With Assisting Extreme-Risk Inmate Run Drugs
Sydney solicitor Martin Churchill is being held on remand for his alleged involvement in a drug supply syndicate that his client former Brothers 4 Life leader Bassam Hamzy was running out of his cell at Goulburn Supermax prison. Police raided...
Taking to the Streets in Protest? Know Your Rights Beforehand
The mid-April climate emergency protests in London shut down parts of the city for over a week. Instigated by the Extinction Rebellion (XR) movement, these acts of nonviolent civil disobedience led to the arrests of over 1,000 protesters. And local...
Morrison Moves to Silence Trade Unions
The Liberal Nationals government delivered on prime minister Scott Morrison’s post-election promise to crack down on trade unions, when it reintroduced the Ensuring Integrity Bill into the lower house of parliament on Thursday. Having stalled last year with a lack...
A Voice for Progressive Reform: An Interview With Labor MLC Rose Jackson
During her June maiden speech in NSW parliament, newly-incumbent Labor MLC Rose Jackson reminded those gathered that this state was once a world leader in harm reduction, which was exemplified by the establishment of the Uniting Medically Supervised Injecting Centre...
Stop the City to Stop Adani: An Interview With NUS’ Lily Campbell
The Queensland Department of Environment and Science signed off on the final government approval that Adani needed prior to beginning work on its Carmichael coal mine in Queensland’s Galilee Basin. And the week following, the Indian mining giant started construction...
The Return of Dutton: Enhanced Domestic Surveilling and Attacks on Minorities
The Liberal Nationals re-election has gone down as Morrison’s “miracle” win. Likened to the triumph of Trump and the success of the Brexit campaign, the May federal election is another example of an unexpected rise in reactionary sentiment that on...
Folau, Morrison and the Christian Right to Discriminate
The PM’s pet campaign to protect religious freedoms has recently converged with the media focus around Israel Folau’s sacking over his vilification of LGBTIQ people, which has brought the national debate to a head over whether Christians have the right...
