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...
Norway Benefits from Rehabilitation, While Australia Lags Behind
Studies have consistently found that sending people to prison significantly increases their chances of offending, rather than reduces it, and that alternatives to imprisonment are more likely to put offenders on the straight and narrow than full time prison custody....
Turnbull Attempts to Silence Activist Groups
Last month, the federal government introduced bills to ban foreign donations and require the registration of lobbyists working for foreign interests if they are seeking to influence the Australian political climate. While the Labor party has indicated support for most...
Vigilante ‘Paedophile Hunter’ Faces Court
A self-proclaimed ‘paedophile hunter’ is facing criminal charges after performing citizens’ arrests on two men he claims responded to sting operations where he pretended to be a child online. The operations were reminiscent to those performed on the US television...
