Britain May Ban Secret Facebook Groups
British Labour Party MP, Lucy Powell, has introduced a bill into parliament which seeks to outlaw ‘secret’ online social media groups. The proposal The basis of the proposal is that these hidden groups are fertile ground for unchecked hate speech,...
Curbing Rising Racism: An Interview With Greens Senator Dr Mehreen Faruqi
In her maiden speech in federal parliament, Australian Greens Senator Mehreen Faruqi warned against the growing “culture of online harassment,” which she explained specifically targets “people of colour and women.” The senator is no stranger to this sort of behaviour....
Charges Dropped Against Whistleblower Cop
Charges against a former Gold Coast police officer who reported on corruption in the Queensland Police Force (QPS) have been dropped, after an expert report found the evidence against him had been tampered. The incident has prompted an investigation by...
Time for a Treaty: An Interview With FISTT’s Lynda-June Coe
Australia is the only settler colonial nation not to have entered into a treaty with First Nations peoples. While countries like New Zealand and Canada have treaties in place, successive federal governments here have refused to even consider such an agreement....
Border Force Randomly Seizes and Searches Citizen’s Devices at Sydney Airport
On 16 August, British Australian Nathan Hague was making his way through Sydney airport as he regularly does, when he was randomly stopped by Australian Border Force (ABF) officers who demanded he hand over his smartphone and laptop computer. The 46-year-old...
Morrison to Enact Discriminatory Laws under the Guise of ‘Religious Freedom’
Scott Morrison indicated in an interview last week with Fairfax Media that enacting laws to protect religious freedoms is an important part of his agenda. This means the new prime minister wants to pass laws that would enable Christians to discriminate...
School Mistress Avoids Prison for Multiple Aggravated Sexual Assaults
Sections of the community are calling for the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) to appeal the sentence of a school duty mistress who has walked free after being convicted of sexual offences involving several teenage boys in her care. The...
New Surry Hills Children’s Court Brings Fresh Hope for Troubled Youths
The Bidura Children’s Court in Sydney has a long and fascinating history. It closed its doors last year and has since been replaced by the Surry Hill’s Children’s Court, but the old building standing and has been nominated for heritage...
Australian Journalist Imprisoned in Cambodia Seeks Royal Pardon
A three-judge panel of the Phnom Penh Municipal Court found Australian journalist and documentary film-maker James Ricketson guilty of espionage on 31 August. And to the disbelief of those gathered there to support the 69-year-old, the court sentenced him to six...
A Walk Through History: Bidura Children’s Court’s ‘Dungeon’
Some of Australia’s most infamous criminals had their initiation into custody at Bidura Children’s Court and Remand Centre. The Bidura Children’s Court first opened in 1911 and is currently undergoing a multi-million dollar renovation. The excavations have uncovered a number...
