Petition Against Gay Panic Defence
The push to remove “Australia’s worst law” from the books is gaining momentum, with over 238,000 people signing a petition to end the ‘gay panic’ defence in Queensland. The defence, which is used to reduce a charge of murder to...
Sending People to Prison for Minor Offences
In a plan unveiled last week, the Australian Bar Association called on state and territory governments to scrap or amend mandatory sentencing laws for crimes including fine default, minor assaults, driving offences and petty theft. They believe the laws have...
NZ Man Dies Inside Australian Immigration Detention Centre
The recent death of a New Zealand man inside Villawood Detention Centre has raised further concerns about Australia’s treatment of those held inside the privately run facility. Rob Peihopa, 42, was found unconscious by staff at Villawood Detention Centre in...
The Death of Australia’s Liberal Democracy
Many of us recently awoke to news of another terrorist attack - this time in Lahore, Pakistan. It was one of many attacks to shake the world in recent months, including bombings in Istanbul in October and the Brussels attack...
The Dark Web: A Good or Bad Thing?
The ‘dark web’ generally refers to areas of the internet only accessible through anonymous web browsers. A recent survey found that 71 percent of people across 24 surveyed countries want the dark web shut down, with most participants feeling that...
Human Rights Watch: An Exclusive Interview with Elaine Pearson
Director of Human Rights Watch Australia, Elaine Pearson, is frank in her assessment of our human rights situation: “I think the sad reality is that we’re no longer a leader on human rights, although I think in certain times we...
The Wealthy and Powerful Getting Away with Tax Fraud
In case you missed it, a leak of data from Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca has allegedly exposed wealthy individuals, including public officials, hiding their money in offshore companies to avoid tax. The ‘Panama papers’ contain information about more than...
The Forgotten Third: Men Who Suffer Domestic Violence
By Sonia Hickey What if I told you that a friend turned up on my doorstep last night: bruised, covered in bite marks and scratches, shaking, and soaking wet from a long walk in the rain. A victim of domestic...
Police Troll Facebook Page
A Facebook page, operated by NSW MP David Shoebridge, has come under fire from the New South Wales police and Drug Free Australia for telling followers which train stations sniffer dogs are patrolling. The Sniff Off Facebook page, which has...
Minister Rejects Justice Reinvestment
Federal Justice Minister Michael Keenan has rejected calls for an overhaul of the prison system, reiterating his view that imprisonment is an effective means of crime prevention. Mr Keenan was responding to a Red Cross-backed report which argues that Australia...
