Press Stands United Against Authoritarianism
There is not much that the bosses of News Corp, the ABC and channel 9 would agree upon, representing different segments of the ideological spectrum. But as recently reported, they recently came together to jointly condemn laws which make reporting...
Sydney Criminal Lawyers® Weekly Rundown – Articles from 24 to 30 June 2019
In case you’ve missed any of them, here’s a rundown of the past week’s articles: Peter Dutton’s Demonisation of Rape Victims is “An Absolute Disgrace” Dutton’s unsubstantiated claim that sexual assault victims on Nauru were “trying it on” by seeking...
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...
Media Bosses Demand Protections for Journalists and Whistleblowers
Australian’s media bosses have finally come together to push for changes to laws passed in the name of national security which criminalise whistleblowers for exposing misconduct by state agencies and journalists for reporting it. The actions comes in the wake...
Woman Ordered to Pay $530,000 for “Plainly Untrue” Google Review
We’re living in a time when it’s easy to get caught up in our emotions, and the moment, to consider ourselves ‘untouchable’ keyboard warriors and let our fingertips do the talking with smart remarks online. But, if ever there was...
Police Are Routinely Breaching Strip-Search Laws, As Well As Their Own Protocols
Section 31 of the Law Enforcement (Powers and Responsibilities) Act 2002 provides that police can carry out strip searches in the field if “the seriousness and urgency of the circumstances make the strip search necessary”. These days, NSW police has...
Owners of Social Media Pages Are Liable for Comments Posted by Others, NSW Supreme Court Finds
A recent decision by the NSW Supreme Court has paved the way for those who are defamed on social media to take proceedings against not only the poster, but also commercial page administrators. The preliminary decision in Voller v Nationwide...
A Creeping Surveillance State: An Interview With the Human Rights Law Centre’s Emily Howie
The ABC has launched a legal challenge in the Federal Court against the validity of the search warrant that AFP agents used to raid its Sydney office on 5 June. The national broadcaster claims the warrant breaches the implied freedom...
Against Animal Atrocities: An Interview With Animal Justice Party MLC Emma Hurst
Newly-appointed federal agricultural minister Bridget McKenzie has vowed to crack down on “agri-terrorists”. Indeed, following nationwide nonviolent animal welfare protests in April, McKenzie said she wanted to see laws similar to the US, where animal activists face steep prison time....
ABC Launches Legal Challenge Against AFP Raids
The ABC has launched legal proceedings in the Federal Court of Australia, challenging the warrant which enabled the Australian Federal Police (AFP) to search for, and record, fingerprints found at the premises and to take samples from the ABC for...
