More Than 80% of Strip Searches Turn Up Nothing
It is difficult not to be cynical about the New South Wales Government’s recent decision to shut down the Law Enforcement Corruption Commission’s (LECC) inquiry into strip searches, particularly in light of new statistics published this week that show that...
“A Potential Discrimination Act”: An Interview With Former High Court Justice Michael Kirby
Right now, transgender people in Japan are forced to undertake gender reassignment surgery in order to change the sex on their identity documents. And while some wish to, others don’t want to undergo the procedure, which entails sterilisation. In a...
As the Climate Ails, Fossil Fuel-Addled Politicians Call for More Coal and Gas
In the wake of this summer’s wildfires, which burnt an unprecedented area of bushland and saw over a billion animals perish, the Morrison government has seen fit to appoint a new resources minister, who seems to have misread the implications...
New South Wales: The Strip Search State
Over this financial year, 2019-20, NSW police officers are in the midst of carrying out at least 3,899 personal searches in Parramatta. This is known because it’s set out in the business plan for that area command. And if you...
Who Can See My Criminal Record?
One of the most common concerns defendants have in criminal cases is the impact of a conviction on their future, including their current or future employment and travel plans. The following is a basic outline of the rules when it...
ABC Loses Legal Challenge Against Police Raids
To the disappointment of many, the ABC has lost its legal challenge to controversial police raids on its Sydney newsroom last year. In what can only be described as a massive blow for freedom of the press and healthy democracy,...
In Solidarity With Julian: An Interview With People for Assange’s Michelle Wood
There’s an Australian citizen of ailing health currently being detained overseas, who until very recently had been held in prolonged solitary confinement. His liberty has been withdrawn by one of this nation’s closest allies and yet, our government has remained...
Bail Laws in New South Wales: Should They Be Softened or Hardened?
There are renewed calls for stricter bail laws and the introduction of a publicly available national register of child sex offenders after a truck driver who was on bail for sexual offences allegedly sexually assaulted a 13-year old girl. The...
The ‘Sports Rorts’ Scandal: Buying Votes in Targeted Electorates
Hot on the heels of revelations about the government’s potential misuse of funds from community sports grant programmes in the lead up to last year’s election, new information reveals the government spent more than $600 million across six programmes, five...
Coronavirus: A Convenient Distraction From the Real Issues
Authorities in China reported on Sunday that there were 2,009 new cases of coronavirus, along with 142 deaths, which marked a drop in fresh cases for the third consecutive day in a row. Meanwhile, in Australia, prime minister Scott Morrison...
