Is Melbourne Really Under Threat from African Gangs?
According to the recent media beat-up, Melbourne is yet again suffering a wave of “African gang violence.” This is despite Victoria deputy police commissioner Andrew Crisp recently stating that there was “no evidence or intelligence to suggest” a string of recent...
Pill Testing Is Long Overdue: An Interview with Victorian MP Colleen Hartland
The current campaign to trial a pill testing service at an Australian music festival began in February 2016. The push was led by prominent harm reduction advocates Dr Alex Wodak, Dr David Caldicott, and Will Tregoning. The impetus behind the renewed...
Federal Government May Increase Alcohol Tax
Malcolm Turnbull was all ears when the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) recently proposed increasing taxes on alcohol, arguing this would reduce alcohol consumption and associated problems. The plan would likely result in higher prices for drinks at...
Protecting Detainees: An Interview With Victorian Ombudsman Deborah Glass
The Australian government ratified the Optional Protocol to the Convention against Torture on December 15. Better known as the OPCAT treaty, the international agreement aims to prevent the abuse and mistreatment of people in detention. The treaty builds upon the 1984 United Nations...
The Federal Government’s Continuing Attack on Civil Liberties
The Institute of Public Affairs (IPA) released its 2017 Legal Rights Audit report on December 27. The report, which is the conservative think tank’s fourth annual audit of Commonwealth laws, found that over the last year the Turnbull government continued to...
Turnbull’s New Laws in 2018
A host of new laws passed by the federal government will come into effect this month. There are changes to social security entitlements, privacy laws, immigration, MP expenses and of course same-sex marriage will become a reality. Here are just...
The Duties of Lawyers in NSW
The Legal Profession Uniform Law (Uniform Law) came into effect in both NSW and Victoria on 1 July 2015. It provides the legal framework for the administration of the merged legal systems across the neighbouring states. The market for legal services across...
Federal MP Must Surrender Documents About Police Raid on Union
Turnbull Government minister Michaelia Cash has lost her Federal Court bid to block access to “key documents” relating to raids by the Australian Federal Police (AFP) on offices of the Australian Workers’ Union (AWU). The Western Australian senator’s fight to...
The History of Recreational Cannabis in Australia
The recreational use of cannabis in Australia sowed its seeds in Kings Cross in the mid to late 1960s, even though the plant had been outlawed decades earlier. It was introduced into Sydney’s bohemian hub by US servicemen, who were on...
Religious Freedom vs Equal Treatment: A Narrow and Divisive Debate
Just as the Christmas break was about to kick in, Australian treasurer Scott Morrison told Fairfax Media that he’ll been fighting back against discrimination against Christians – as well as other religions – next year. As an example of the...
