Government Set to Renew Laws which Remove Civil Liberties
Currently, some of the most extreme Commonwealth counterterrorism laws are under the review of the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Intelligence and Security (PJCIS). And if recent reports from an executive oversight body are anything to go by, these laws will be...
Police Vow to Hunt Down Criminal Defence Lawyer’s Killer
The gunman who shot 65-year old Bankstown lawyer Ho Ledinh is still on the run, and police are asking for witnesses to come forward, especially anyone with video footage of the incident, including CCTV, shop front, dash cam or mobile...
You’re More Likely to be Killed by a Lawnmower than a Terrorist
For many years now, we have been surrendering our legal safeguards and protections to bolster the powers of the state and enable governments to protect us against terrorists. But recent headlines have sparked debate about whether the benefits of spending...
Dutton Seeks to Undermine Separation of Powers
The Law Institute of Victoria says it is “extremely concerned” about the repeated attacks on the judiciary and legal profession by home affairs minister, Peter Dutton. The Federal Labor party has also chimed in, accusing newly appointed attorney general, Christian...
Former NSW Police Officer Faces Sexual Assault Charges
29-year old Vaughan Hildebrand is facing multiple charges of sexual assault arising from incidents that allegedly occurred during his time as an officer with the NSW Police Force. Hildebrand is charged with 51 criminal offences - including 15 counts of...
It’s Time to Repeal Australia’s Discriminatory Transgender Laws
The majority of Australia’s same-sex marriage laws came into effect on December 9 last year, which meant LGBTIQ members of the community were finally able to get their partnerships legally solemnised as of January 9, due to the 30 day waiting period...
Informed Public Prefers Rehabilitation Over Punishment
Politicians often invoke ‘tough on crime policies’ to win votes, and mainstream media outlets frequently publish sensationalised and highly misleading crime reports to muster an audience. The popularist rhetoric invoked by these power structures is often designed to create hysteria,...
Mainstream Media Normalises Vigilantism
In a media ‘exclusive’ this week, 7 News profiled a nationalist organisation called United Patriots Front (UPF) and its plans for blatant vigilantism on the streets of Victoria. Channel 7 painted a glowing portrait of the group as ‘patriots’ who...
1984: Dystopian Prophecies Become Reality
The week after Donald Trump’s inauguration in January last year, George Orwell’s novel Nineteen Eighty-Four became Amazon’s number one selling book. Penguin Books had to order a reprint of 75,000 copies to keep up with the increase in demand. It seemed people...
The Mandela Rules: Minimum Prison Standards Must Be Implemented
Nelson Mandela famously said, “no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails.” And after revelations about the mistreatment and torture of young people inside Darwin’s Don Dale youth detention centre, it must be acknowledged we have...
