Marriage Equality is Law, But the Religious Freedoms Debate Continues
It was an historic moment last Thursday, when the marriage equality bill passed through the lower house of parliament, enshrining same-sex marriage in the law. It brought an end to the Howard government’s ban on LGBTIQ marriages, enacted by a 2004 amendment to...
Victims of Crime May Be Given Access to Perpetrators’ Super Funds
Federal Minister for Revenue and Financial Services, Kelly O’Dwyer, has announced a review of the laws governing superannuation with a view to allowing victims of crime to access the funds of perpetrators. Ms O’Dwyer noted that the rules regarding the early...
Protesting Pine Gap: An Interview with Peace Pilgrim Margaret Pestorius
Pine Gap is the top-secret US-run military base hidden in the Australian outback, just outside of Alice Springs. Officially known as the Joint Defence Facility Pine Gap, the base was presented to the Australian public as a space research centre,...
Turnbull Appoints Anti-Charity Campaigner as Head of Charities Commission
Australian charities and other not-for-profits have always played a key role in providing necessary services to some of society’s most vulnerable and disadvantaged people. Indeed, prior to the second world war, charities, not government, provided the majority of social services...
Men Imprisoned Over Death of Lynette Daley
Two men have been sentenced to imprisonment over the violent sexual assault and death of 33-year old Lynette Daley. Ms Daley died from injuries sustained during a sexual act committed by her ‘on-again-off-again’ boyfriend, 43-year old Adrian Attwater and his...
Defendant Appeals after Pleading Guilty Due to Incorrect Legal Advice
On the afternoon of 26 May 2015, Brett Ritchie was pulled over by police as he was driving down the Oxley Highway near Wauchope. The officers then arrested him due to outstanding warrants. Whilst standing next to the car, Mr...
Turnbull’s Foreign Donations Laws: Suppressing Anti-Government Sentiment
Political donations by foreigners will be banned and overseas government lobbyists will be required to declare their interests under new laws proposed by the Turnbull government. The legislation will be introduced amid concerns regarding the influence of Chinese government agents...
Prohibition is a Recipe for Failure
On 2 June 2011, the Global Commission on Drug Policy declared that the “war on drugs has failed”. The declaration marked a significant shift in public attitude towards the 40-year-old policy launched by US president Richard Nixon that saw the intensification...
Asylum Seeker Rights: An Interview with NZ MP Golriz Ghahraman
The 600 asylum seekers the Australian government is continuing to hold on Manus Island are now staying in transit centres in Lorengau. The facilities aren’t fully complete. There’s insufficient room to accommodate them all. And there’s a lack of water. The...
What is the Rule of Law?
The rule of law is a term that was first coined by Oxford law professor Albert V Dicey in 1885. In general terms, it’s the principle that law should govern a nation, and both the government and individuals are equally subject...
