Is War Looming with China and North Korea?
Veteran documentary maker John Pilger’s new film the Coming War on China screened on television last Sunday night. In it, Pilger “breaks the silence” on the US government’s recent military build-up that’s aimed directly at China. The Australian journalist explains that...
RIP Government Accountability in Australia: A Privacy Guide for Journalists
With the scope of online and telecommunications surveillance today, it seems we’re very much living in an Orwellian age. Last week, the complete version of the Australian government’s mandatory metadata regime came into effect. Although the data retention laws were enacted on October 13,...
Decriminalisation and a Regulated Drug Supply Market are the Key to Success
The Portugal model of drug decriminalisation is acknowledged globally as a resounding success. In 2001, the Portuguese government decriminalised the personal use and possession of all illegal drugs. Since then, rates of HIV infections and overdoses have dramatically decreased. And despite what...
Military Might in the Middle East: The Political Posturing of the Powerful
In little over a week, US president Donald Trump has carried out three acts of military aggression that appear to be targeting not only the countries directly involved, but also send a clear message to an alliance of nations that traditionally...
Abuse of Children in Australian Detention Centres Continues
Fifteen youths are still being detained on remand (ie with their cases yet to be heard) at Victoria’s Barwon maximum security adult prison on the outskirts of Geelong in a move the Victorian Supreme Court ruled unlawful in December last year. The...
At the Frontline of Gender Activism: An Interview with Norrie
The rights of transgender and gender diverse people have come a long way over the last decades. Now, high-profile trans celebrities like Laverne Cox and Australian model Andrej Pejić have moved into the spotlight, while Cate McGregor is a high-ranking...
NSW Police Crackdown is Devastating the Nimbin Community
NSW police carried out a series of six raids in Nimbin and Lismore on June 28 last year. A total of eleven men between the ages of 21 and 35 were arrested and charged with supplying marijuana. These men are known...
NSW Lawyer Steals Over $300,000 From Clients
Another NSW lawyer has been struck off the roll of legal practitioners. Although, it’s not a common occurrence, there are lawyers who breach their professional obligations and commit serious offences against their very own clients. And when it does happen, the...
Community Legal Centres in Crisis: An Interview with Australian Pro Bono Centre CEO John Corker
Pro bono legal work plays a vital role in the Australian legal system. It consists of lawyers providing legal services for free or at a significantly reduced cost, “with no expectation of a commercial return.” The “justice gap” - made...
The Hypocrisy Surrounding US Airstrikes in Syria
The US military airstrike targeting the government-controlled Shayrat airbase in Syria last Thursday night has raised questions as to motivations of US president Donald Trump ordering the attack. The president did not seek congressional approval for the strike, which comprised 59...
